Blue-State Judicial Emergencies Surge as Trump Rushes GOP Picks

Federal Judge Ricardo Martinez has had to get creative in dealing with a serious shortage of judges in his Seattle-based court.

He’s tapped bankruptcy judges, magistrate judges, and senior judges that have gone into semi-retirement. What he doesn’t have are enough active district court judges.

While the Republican-led Senate has pushed through President Donald Trump’s judicial selections at a historic pace, no nominees have been put forward for vacancies in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. And all three of the active judges Martinez does have—including himself—will be eligible to take senior status in September.

The ...