Civil Rights News: Judicial Vacancy Crisis, Bipartisan Judges Deal, American Population Becoming Less White

Federal Judicial Vacancies Reaching Crisis Point
Washington Post

Judicial vacancies, especially in southwestern America, are reaching an unsustainable level. There are simply not enough judges to handle the overwhelming demands of the overburdened criminal justice system. A new accord between the White House and Senate Republicans, whose fractious political tensions caused much of the detrimental delay through the last Congress, promises to speed up the nomination and confirmation process to alleviate the growing crisis. This also represents a key chance for the Obama Administration to nominate a substantial number of progressive judges, which could potentially begin reversing the Bush Administration’s lingering legacy of judicial conservatism.

Democrats, Hoping To Break Through Impasse, Reach Deal on Three Judges
Huffington Post

Sam Stein reported yesterday that the Senate confirmed three new federal judges whose appointment had been stalled through the last Congress. Senate Democrats, whose judicial appointments have been locked in political deadlock over the last few years, are taking the new confirmations as a sign of newfound bipartisanship, and consider it a large step towards repairing the ineffectiveness of Congressional politics.

Among Nation’s Youngest, Analysis Finds Fewer Whites
New York Times

Whites continued to decline as a share of the American population in 2009, according to the Brookings Institute. Population growth has come instead from Hispanics, Blacks and Asians, whose children represent larger shares of the school population.

The study shows the difficulties ahead for policy makers: balancing the costs of the aging white population and the need for financing education of a more diverse youth. Education experts who have studied the issue say the United States is lagging behind in educating minority students.

Compiled by Leah Bui and Hayley Lennon