AFJ Sends Letter Opposing Splitting the Ninth Circuit

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 23 – Alliance for Justice, joined by over 150 organizations, sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging them to oppose any legislation that would split the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which is currently composed of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and the territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The letter reads that “Special interests, dissatisfied with certain rulings, have long sought to divide the Ninth Circuit in an effort to obtain different rulings” and notes that “President Trump has led the recent charge to split the Ninth Circuit because he perceives it to be hostile to his unconstitutional agenda.” The organizations make clear that “such results-driven considerations should not dictate the structure of the judiciary.”

The letter further notes that if legislation to divide the Ninth Circuit is enacted, “it will enable ideologically driven forum shopping aimed at eroding critical constitutional rights and legal protections that affect workers, civil rights, consumers, and the environment.”

Finally, the letter emphasizes that judges, appointed by both Republican and Democratic Presidents, have made clear that “division of the Ninth Circuit would be costly, inefficient, and would hurt the administration of justice in the West.”