US courts run out of cash on Friday; here’s what happens then
There is enough money to run until January 11; after that, the US judicial system may have to resort to ‘triage’
Companies that turn to the US federal courts to resolve fights with rivals and customers may find themselves in limbo if the government shutdown continues beyond next week. The system has enough money left over from fees and other sources to run until January 11, according to the Administrative Office of the US Courts, which supports the judiciary. After that, non-essential workers at the 94 federal district courts, and at higher courts across the US, may have to stay home even as skeleton crews show up — without pay — to handle matters deemed essential under US law, including many criminal cases. Individual courts and judges will then decide how to fulfill those critical functions, said David Sellers, a spokesperson for US courts. He pointed to earlier shutdowns, the longest of which was the 21-day furlough that started in December 1995 and ended in January 1996. A shutdown beyond January 11 would break that record. “In the past, some courts have suspended civil cases, some have co...
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