Federal Civil Lawsuits Filed Drop 27%

The federal judiciary has released a new report that shows that the number of civil filings dropped dramatically in 2021. This is largely due COVID-19 disruptions, which may have discouraged plaintiffs seeking to pursue lawsuits.

The U.S. Courts published a Judicial Business 2021 report this month. It indicated that, despite attempts to keep the court system remotely running, there were significant reductions in regional Court of Appeals and District Court filings during the 12-month period ending on September 30, 2021.

Many people who might have pursued a legal claim or become involved in a pending lawsuit may not have been as eager to make a claim due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 pandemic. Federal courts have suspended hearings in person.

The overall number of criminal and civil cases in the U.S. District Courts decreased by 23% over the 12-month period. Particularly, the number of civil filings declined by 27% while those involving diversity in citizenship fell 41%.

The U.S. District Courts only saw a one percent drop in criminal filings, but there was an 18% decrease in defendants being prosecuted for immigrant violations. Frau cases rose by 18%, sex cases increased by 10%, and crimes involving explosives and firearms rose by 8%.

The U.S. Court of Appeals saw a decline of around 8% in filings at the 12 regional circuit courts. This is a decrease of about 8% compared to the 12-month prior. Similar to the trend in civil appeals, caseloads for civil appeals declined by almost 10%.

Despite the decline in caseloads, 14% more federal cases were brought to trial in 2021 than the previous year. There was also an 11% increase of civil trials after the “stay home” orders were lifted.

from lawyers.buzz https://lawyers.buzz/federal-civil-lawsuits-filed-drop-27/235/
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