ORANGE COUNTY VOICES JUDICIARY : Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties Need a New Court : Establishing a federal district for them would be a great convenience for local residents and lawyers.

As we all know, the tri-county area of Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties has grown remarkably in the past 20 years--from slightly more than 2.5 million residents to the latest Census Bureau estimate of 4.5 million.

The economy of the tri-county area now exceeds that of every Western state outside of California, and it now rivals Los Angeles County as an attractive place in which to live and work.

As in all large metropolitan areas, the residents in these counties often require assistance from the federal government. To meet this increased demand, 21 federal agencies have established separate offices for area residents.

But resisting reorganization that would make it easier for these residents to litigate a grievance in federal court or to fulfill their civic responsibility to serve on a jury is the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. This court is located in Los Angeles with a small branch court in Santa Ana.

For more than a decade, the size and vitality of the tri-county area has warranted a separate and fully equipped federal district court. The Central District, one of the largest in the United States, should be divided into at least two courts, with one to serve the tri-county area.

Last August, I introduced legislation that would establish a new federal district court to serve Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The entire tri-county congressional delegation supports my bill, as do the local bar associations.

The most compelling argument for a new district court is that the current arrangement inconveniences too many citizens. Unfortunately, the Central District judges oppose my plan. Because most of them live outside the tri-county area, furthering the convenience of tri-county residents will necessarily entail inconveniencing these esteemed jurists.

I sincerely hope that this is not the source of their opposition. The needs of residents must be our only priority.

In addition to Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino, the Central District also includes the counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo, serving more than 13 million Californians. To put this in perspective: The average federal district court serves about 2.5 million people--one-fifth as many persons.

The Central District court is suffering an overwhelming caseload. Last year, it ranked first among all federal district courts in the number of civil cases commenced (11,820) and second in the number pending (9,839). It ranked fourth among federal courts in the number of criminal cases.

More than 25% of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals caseload originates in the Central District. The appeals court hears cases from 13 separate district courts in Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and California.

The 9th Circuit’s chief judge, Alfred T. Goodwin, has indicated that he has “no objection” to the creation of a new district court. He told my staff: “Congress has a duty to provide the best services for the people in their districts, and clearly (a new court) would be better and more convenient for those involved in litigation in those counties. . . . I would welcome it as I would another child, joining the existing 13 and make a place for it at the table.”

What does Goodwin mean when he says a new court would be “more convenient” for litigants, jurors and witnesses from the tri-county area?

First, the round-trips from San Bernardino and Riverside counties to Los Angeles are longer than to Santa Ana, in some cases significantly longer.

Longer trips for attorneys mean substantially higher legal fees for tri-county area clients. According to a prominent lawyer in Newport Beach, a simple court appearance in Los Angeles requires 3 1/2 hours of commuting time and rather hefty fees for parking. At $150 per hour and 30 cents per mile traveled, it costs a litigant from the tri-county area $579 for a simple court appearance in Los Angeles. The same legal service provided in Santa Ana would cost only $165.20. (These estimates do not include the time required for the appearance itself.)

Finally, a new district court in Santa Ana would improve the quality of our air. With total vehicle miles in Southern California expected to increase by 68% over the next 20 years, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has approved an elaborate emission-control strategy that includes limits on the use of autos. A new federal court in Santa Ana would reduce auto use by hundreds of thousands of miles each year.

For all of the above reasons, a new federal judicial district composed of Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties should be established without further delay.