Home	Back to list

N E W S R E L E A S E August 3, 2007 David Madden (415) 355-8930 Special Court Selected to Consider California Prisoner Releases SAN FRANCISCO – Chief Judge Mary M. Schroeder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has designated a special three-judge court to consider ongoing litigation over overcrowding in California state prisons. Chief Judge Schroeder issued orders on July 26, 2007, designating the special court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section 2284 and 18 U.S.C. section 3626(a)(3). The court will consider the prison release orders requested by the plaintiffs in Coleman et al., v. Schwarzenegger, et al, which is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento, and Plata, et al, v. Schwarzenegger, et al, which is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. The special court consists of Senior District Judges Lawrence K. Karlton of the Eastern District of California and Thelton E. Henderson of the Northern District of California, who have been presiding over the two cases, and Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, who was selected by random draw pursuant to federal code. # # #