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1252405
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7/13/75 - Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference
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1252405
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document
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7/13/75 - Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Federal judges
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13
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1975-07-13
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7
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1975
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13
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1975-07-13
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7
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1975
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The original documents are located in Box 11, "7/13/75 - Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference"
of the President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 11 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS AT THE
SIXTH CIRCUIT JUDICIAL CONFERENCE
SUNDAY, JULY 13, 1975
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THANK You JUDGE ENGEL (INTRODUCES YOU)
GOVERNOR MILLIKIN
JUSTICE STEWART
SENATOR GRIFFIN
DISTINGUISHED MEMBER OF CONGRESS
(RUPE
JUDGE PHILLIPS
VHUMSTAGT
BISHOP Dimmick
JUDGE MCALLISTER
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
- 1 -
BEFORE I BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION
OF THIS DISTINGUISHED JUDICIAL CONFERENCE.
LAST
THURSDAY, ONE OF THE TIRES ON AIR FORCE ONE BLEW OUT AS
WE WERE LANDING IN CLEVELAND.
AND THAT NIGHT A
NEWSPAPER REPORTED THE INCIDENT AS FOLLOWS: "AIR FORCE
ONE LANDED IN CLEVELAND TODAY WITH A FLAT TIRE -- AND
PRESIDENT FORD STEPPED OUT".
AND NOW FOR THE
QUESTION: CAN I SUE?
- 2 -
IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO MEET THIS MORNING WITH
SUCH A DISTINGUISHED GROUP OF JURISTS AND LAWYERS FROM
KENTUCKY, MICHIGAN, OHIO AND TENNESSEE.
I AM
HONORED TO SHARE THE PLATFORM WITH MY FORMER LAW SCHOOL
CLASSMATE, JUSTICE POTTER STEWART, AN ALUMNUS OF THE
SIXTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS.
AND I AM PLEASED TO
SEE THE FAMILIES OF so MANY OF YOU HERE TODAY. THIS IS
PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW TIMES YOU GET TO SEE YOUR SPOUSES
FOR SUCH AN EXTENDED PERIOD.
Judy Tom Mc alloter
Jaw French degree.
Judge albert Engli.
- 3 -
FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS, THIS CONFERENCE HAS
MADE ITS ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE CURRENT PROBLEMS OF THE
FEDERAL JUDICIARY, ESPECIALLY THIS CIRCUIT.
YOUR
CONCERN ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL
JUSTICE REACHES FAR BEYOND YOUR COURTROOMS, BECAUSE
YOUR WORK IS VITAL TO THE STABILITY OF THIS NATION.
Rise in crime
Bachlog in civil cases.
- 4 -
DESPITE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE JUDICIARY, ITS
PROBLEMS OFTEN GO UNNOTICED AND UNREPORTED.
TOO OFTEN,
WE PAY ATTENTION ONLY WHEN FEDERAL COURT DECISIONS ARE
CONTROVERSIAL OR THE PROBLEMS OF COURT MANAGEMENT
BECOME OVERWHELMING.
- 5 -
THE CASELOADS IN FEDERAL COURTS HAVE EXPANDED
TREMENDOUSLY IN THE PAST DECADE.
THOSE OF YOU ON
THE FEDERAL BENCH KNOW PERSONALLY ABOUT THE 25 PERCENT
INCREASE IN CRIMINAL CASES AND THE 55 PERCENT INCREASE
IN CIVIL CASES BETWEEN 1964 AND 1974.
- 6 -
THE SIXTH CIRCUIT IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST AND
MOST PRODUCTIVE IN THE COUNTRY.
AT THE APPELLATE
AND DISTRICT COURT LEVELS, THIS CIRCUIT HAS AN
IMPRESSIVE RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT IN KEEPING UP WITH
THE RECENT EXPLOSION OF FEDERAL LITIGATION.
- 7 -
YOU ARE HANDLING TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITIES WELL,
BUT THERE IS A SERIOUS QUESTION AS TO HOW LONG THE FEDERAL
I
JUDICIARY WILL BE ABLE TO FUNCTION SMOOTHY WITHOUT
ADDITIONAL MANPOWER.
strongly
7A
THIS ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTS THE RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR ADDITIONAL DISTRICT AND CIRCUIT COURT JUDGESHIPS,
badly
WHICH JUDICIAL CONFERENCE STUDIES SHOW ARE NEEDED.
1
LEGISLATION TO CREATE THESE JUDGESHIPS REQUIRES SWIFT
BI-PARTISAN ACTION.
- 8 -
THE NUMBER OF FEDERAL JUDGES AND ADEQUATE
The chief Justice has talked To me, congros The
SALARIES ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES.
BUT OTHER PROBLEMS
A
at this request
ALSO NEED ATTENTION.
gavianged N
IN MY CRIME MESSAGE, I STRONGLY SUPPORTED
LEGISLATION TO EXPAND THE JURISDICTION OF UNITED STATES
MAGISTRATES. you know better than 2
how this could help.
-9-
ACTION ON THE SCOPE AND PROCESS OF FEDERAL JURISDICTION
-- INCLUDING THE RANGE OF DIVERSITY JURISDICTION,
THE
ADVISABILITY OF THREE-JUDGE COURTS,
POSSIBLE AVENUES
OF FEDERAL-STATE COOPERATION AND RELATED PROPOSALS -- ALL
COULD HELP TO REDUCE CASELOADS.
ACCORDINGLY,
I HAVE REQUESTED A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATION
EFFORTS ON JUDICIAL IMPROVEMENTS AND AN EXAMINATION
OF THE FULL SPECTRUM OF PROBLEMS FACING THE JUDICIARY.
- 10 -
BECAUSE THE STATE COURTS ARE BEING TAXED BY
SPECIAL PROBLEMS, I HAVE RECOMMENDED AN EXTENSION OF THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION PROGRAMS
CALLING ATTENTION TO FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
REQUIREMENTS OF STATE COURT SYSTEMS.
- 11 -
THE ADMINISTRATION ALSO IS AWARE OF THE NEED
TO CONSIDER THE JUDICIAL IMPACT OF ANY NEW LEGISLATION,
AND WE WILL EXAMINE THE POTENTIAL FOR LITIGATION ARISING
FROM OUR PROPOSALS.
TOO OFTEN, FEDERAL LAWS HAVE
BEEN PASSED WITHOUT ADEQUATE CONSIDERATION OF THEIR
EFFECT ON FEDERAL COURTS.
- 12 -
FROM ITS FOUNDING, THE NATION HAS EXPECTED ITS COURTS
TO PERFORM IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS, AND, IN RECENT YEARS
THE FEDERAL BENCH HAS WRESTLED WITH MANY ISSUES IN OUR SOCIETY.
- 12A -
IN FACT, WE ARE TURNING TOO OFTEN TO OUR FEDERAL COURTS
FOR SOLUTIONS TO CONFLICTS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TACKLED
BY OTHER AGENCIES OF GOVERNMENT OR THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
- 13 -
WE AS A PEOPLE CANNOT EXPECT THE JUDICIAL
BRANCH TO RESOLVE AND BALANCE ALL OF OUR OPPOSING VIEWS
NEITHER CAN WE RELY ON FEDERAL COURTS AS THE SOLE
PROTECTORS OF OUR INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES.
- 14 -
THE JUDICIARY IS THE NATION'S STANDING ARMY IN DEFENSE
OF INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, BUT ALL SEGMENTS OF OUR SOCIETY --
GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS LABOR, EDUCATION -- MUST WORK
TO SEE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS NOT STIFLED.
- 14A -
IN OUR FIRST CENTURY, THE NATION ESTABLISHED
CONTINENT-WIDE A UNIQUE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT;
IN THE
SECOND CENTURY, A STRONG ECONOMIC SOCIETY; AND IN THE THIRD,
THE CHALLENGE IS TO ADVANCE INDIVIDUAL INDEPENDENCE.
- 15 -
DANIEL BOONE MOVED WEST TO FIND "ELBOW ROOM"
-- AND "ELBOW ROOM" FOR THE INDIVIDUAL IS WHAT OUR NEXT
CENTURY AS A NATION MUST BE ABOUT.
WE MUST GIVE
OURSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS AMPLE ROOM TO GROW,
\
TO
ACHIEVE,
1
TO BE DIFFERENT
AND TO DEFINE THE QUALITY
OF OUR PERSONAL EXISTENCE.
- 16 -
OUT OF THE SLOGANS,
MYTHS AND MEMOR IES OF
200 YEARS OF AMERICAN HISTORY, THE FIRST WORDS STILL
RING TRUE: 'WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY
THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT
AMONG THESE ARE LIFE. LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.' "
- 17 -
THOSE WORDS ARE NOT JUST FOR POLITICAL
ORATIONS OR COURT DECISIONS
THEY ARE THE WATCHWORDS
OF WHAT WE MUST BE ABOUT AS A PEOPLE IN THE COMING YEARS.
FREEDOM FOR A NATION BEGINS AND ENDS WITH THE
FREEDOM OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
WITH THAT COMMITMENT, OUR
FUTURE WILL BE MORE GLORIOUS THAN OUR PAST.
END OF TEXT