The Honorable Harry Reid Senate Majority Leader

Letter

U. S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today praised the Senate Judiciary Committee's advancement of the nomination of Magistrate Judge Kimberly Mueller to serve as a United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of California. Senator Boxer recommended Mueller's nomination to the White House, and the Judiciary Committee approved her nomination on a unanimous vote.

Senator Boxer said, "I am so pleased that the Judiciary Committee has advanced the nomination of respected Magistrate Judge Kimberly Mueller. When confirmed, she will be the first woman to serve on the Eastern District Court. The Eastern District is the nation's busiest federal court -- with more than 1,100 case filings per judge -- so I am asking Majority Leader Reid to bring her nomination to the floor as soon as possible."

On Thursday, Senator Boxer sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) urging him to quickly bring Judge Mueller's nomination to the Senate floor.

The full text of Senator Boxer's letter is below:

May 6, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
The Capitol, S-221
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Majority Leader Reid:

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of Magistrate Judge Kimberly Mueller for the Eastern District of California by unanimous vote. The Eastern District is facing a judicial crisis -- an extraordinary caseload and too few judges. I ask you to quickly bring Judge Mueller's nomination to the floor. The people of the Eastern District cannot afford to wait any longer.

I was proud to recommend Judge Mueller to the President for nomination to the Eastern District. She is a public servant in the truest sense, and will bring a diverse professional background to the district court. Before becoming a lawyer, she served as a legislative aide, a health and safety director for the California Firefighter Foundation, and a Sacramento City Council Member. She has been a lawyer in the private sector, and since 2003, a federal magistrate judge in Sacramento. When confirmed, Judge Mueller will become the first woman to serve on the Eastern District.

The Eastern District of California is in need of Judge Mueller's services as soon as possible. The Eastern District is one of the largest districts in the country, covering 87,000 square miles from the Oregon border in the north to the Tehachapi Mountains in the south, and from the Coastal Range in the west to the Nevada border in the east. Forty-five percent of the district is federal land. The district has six courthouses, located in Sacramento, Fresno, Yosemite, Redding, South Lake Tahoe and Bakersfield, serving seven million residents in 34 counties.

Judges in the Eastern District of California carry the heaviest caseload per federal judge in the country -- more than 1,100 cases per judge. This is more than twice the recommended number of cases per judge, according to the Judicial Conference. To help reduce the district's overloaded docket, the Ninth Circuit has asked appellate and district court judges from across the circuit to volunteer to take on Eastern District cases. According to the Ninth Circuit, 72 district judges and 16 circuit judges from across the west have helped resolve more than 530 cases from the district. Their help, while deeply appreciated, is not a permanent solution.

The situation in the Eastern District is dire, and demands our immediate action. Bringing Judge Mueller to the floor for confirmation immediately would bring much-needed assistance to the district. Thank you for your help on this critical nomination.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer, United States Senator

Source