Fees Could Keep Courts Open for a Few Weeks in a Government Shutdown
Court fees—and bankruptcy fees in particular—could help keep all federal courts open if the government shuts down temporarily during budget battles in Congress.
Federal court officials are developing contingency plans, and funding critical operations with court fees is one of the ideas under consideration, according to the Dow Jones Daily Bankruptcy Review (sub. req.).
Karen Redmond, spokeswoman for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, told the Daily Bankruptcy Review that fees supported the courts for about two weeks during government shutdowns in the mid-1990s. Bankruptcy fees were largely responsible for keeping the courts open during that period, according to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Randall Dunn, president of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges.
In a longer government shutdown, fees would run out and court employees would have to stay home, Redmond said. The Administrative Office would need to decide when to shut down Pacer and other court services, Redmond said.
Hat tip to the Wall Street Journal blog Bankruptcy Beat.
