Our courthouse serves the Fresno Division of the Eastern Judicial District of California with two active judges and one senior judge, who conduct federal judicial business for a geographic area larger than most states of the United States, with a population of approximately 3.3 million persons.
Chief Judge Anthony Ishii, Judge Lawrence O'Neill and Senior Judge Oliver Wanger (who works for no compensation) each has approximately 1,069 cases (heaviest load in the nation, above the national average of 463 per judge). The three judges expended 2,117 courtroom hours in trials and proceedings in the past year.
Judges in the Eastern District double track cases -- one judge utilizes two courtrooms and two jury rooms in a single trial day. Court proceedings often commence at 8 a.m., are held over the noon hour and, as necessary, after 5 p.m.
The courthouse was designed for 20 years' space needs. After four years of occupancy, the building is fully utilized, except for three district courtrooms utilized by visiting judges. If Congress had enacted the Judgeship Bill (pending for years) to provide five new judges to the Eastern District, two for Fresno, all except one of the 16 courtrooms would be actively assigned.
The chambers and administrative office space in these three courtrooms are being used by emergency staff attorneys added to deal with the largest prisoner caseload in the U.S. There is no office or administrative space left in the building.
The Central Valley population projections show Fresno and Kern counties increasing to more than 1 million each in the next 10 years.
After only four years of occupancy, the building is "out of space." Stating the courthouse is overbuilt is simply an affirmative misrepresentation.