Federal Judges Resigning

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts reports that more federal judges are resigning than in the past -- many for financial reasons. U.S. Courts Newsroom - Trends in Judicial Resignations and Retirements. "Lifetime appointment" is sort of like "all you can eat" -- just as you don't have to eat until you drop, you don't have to serve your whole life.

The shift is dramatic:

1958 to 1969 – 3 departures
1970 to 1979 – 22 departures
1980 to 1989 – 41 departures
1990 to 1999 – 55 departures
2000 to May 11, 2006 – 42 departures

For perspective, note that there were 809 active article III judges in 2005 (see table). So in the last six years, about 5.2% of them resigned. (In 1990, there were 899 active article III judges. I stopped looking before finding the number for 1970.)

Thanks to beSpacific.

Filed in: judges, Administrative-Office-for-the-US-Courts

Graphic by mw.