The Administrative Office of U.S. Courts this morning formally reclassified a longstanding judicial vacancy in southern Texas as a judicial emergency. That means the caseload is too high for the work to get done in a fair and efficient manner, so Americans seeking to vindicate their rights can't be assured of getting their day in court. But this vacancy is hardly alone: Of the Lone Star State's 11 current vacancies, eight of them are judicial emergencies, and eight of them have no nominees. Those numbers are too high.
Fortunately, nominees for three of the state's emergencies are having hearings before the Judiciary Committee tomorrow: Amos Mazzant, Trey Schroeder, and Robert Pitman. They have the support of the White House that nominated them and the two Republican senators who recommended them. In a historic first, Pitman would be Texas's first openly gay federal judge. He would also fill a seat that has been vacant since 2008, the nation's second oldest vacancy.
If tomorrow's hearing doesn't uncover any problems, then Texans need for all three nominees to take their places in the courtroom as soon as possible. If the Judiciary Committee can vote them out before leaving town later this month, the Senate should be able to hold a confirmation vote before the election. Otherwise, senators will need to come back to approve them in a lame duck session. There is no excuse to leave any courtrooms empty until next year if they can be filled this fall – especially in a state with as many judicial emergencies as Texas.