VACANCIES IN FEDERAL JUDICIARY CONTINUE TO GROW

The U.S. federal court system provides for 832 judges, from trial judges to appeals judges to Supreme Court justices. As of this week, there are 100 vacancies on the federal bench -- a full 12 percent of judges who say there is a serious backlog in cases.

There are two reasons for this gap in fresh judicial appointees. The first is the fact that the Clinton administration has been notoriously slow about making appointments ever since it first took over the executive branch in 1993. Not only have there been too few judicial appointments, many other areas of the executive branch are going begging for nominees for key posts. Even cabinet appointments have languished under this president.

The other reason there is a shortage of judges is the fact that the Republican-controlled Senate, which must confirm the appointments, is hesitant to approve what many in the GOP consider activist judges. These are judges who appear, based on their records, to go beyond interpreting the law and instead mold the law to a liberal mindset.

The bottom line is that criminals aren't getting timely hearings, and many civil cases in federal courts are being pushed further and further down the docket. The current impasse may be creating problems that will take years to undo.