Summary: Actions necessary to deal with the civil case backlog in federal district courts were discussed. Processing a large volume of cases requires the development and enforcement of a case management system, the use of magistrates and clerks' offices, and an adequate number of judges. GAO found that the degree to which the courts experienced a backlog problem correlated with the extent to which these key requirements were satisfied. Improved court administration would minimize this problem.
Courts were not taking full advantage of magistrates or personnel from the clerks' offices to assist in processing civil cases. Courts and judges that used the clerks' offices for administering case management and docket control systems had fewer backlog cases. Many judges were unwilling to assign civil case duties to the magistrates because they: (1) believed that magistrates do not expedite the civil process since their decisions can be appealed to the court; (2) wanted full control of all cases; and (3) believed that the opportunities for settlement were greater if they presided over all conferences.
