The Fix Is In

We are completely, utterly, and existentially fcked in our heads. https://t.co/xz12mNTp5U

— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) January 8, 2022

By statute, although there are four federal district courts in Texas, they’re subdivided into 28 “divisions.”

And in 13 of those divisions, a *single* judge hears between 2/3 and 100% of all cases. You can literally pick your judge if you know what you’re doing.

That’s … nuts.

— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) January 8, 2022

I get having multiple divisions within large district courts (especially a district that includes Austin and El Paso — 575 miles apart).

But it just doesn’t make sense that litigants should be able to pick a judge just by picking a division.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) January 8, 2022

Either way, It sounds like a rigged game.