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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Prepared by the Office of the Clerk

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Page 1: ANNUAL REPORT 2011 - District of Massachusetts Annual Report.pdf2011 Annual Report Page 1 United States District Court District of Massachusetts District Judges Mark L. Wolf, Chief

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

ANNUAL REPORT

2011

Prepared by the Office of the Clerk

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2011AnnualReport

TableofContents

DistrictofMassachusetts......................................................................................................................................1

MessagefromtheChief..........................................................................................................................................2 

JudicialAccomplishments.....................................................................................................................................3 

JudicialConference..............................................................................................................................................4 

LocalCommitteeandLiaisonAssignments..............................................................................................5 

TheDistrictataGlance..........................................................................................................................................7 

AlternativeDisputeResolution......................................................................................................................7 

Budget.......................................................................................................................................................................7 

CriminalJusticeAct.............................................................................................................................................7 

DivisionalOffices..................................................................................................................................................8 

Springfield..........................................................................................................................................................8 

Worcester............................................................................................................................................................8 

Finance.....................................................................................................................................................................9 

HumanResources.............................................................................................................................................10 

Immigration&Naturalization.....................................................................................................................11 

InformationTechnology(IT).......................................................................................................................11 

ElectronicCourtrooms...............................................................................................................................11 

FdsysOpinionsPilotProject....................................................................................................................11 

KACEappliance.............................................................................................................................................12 

WirelessNetwork.........................................................................................................................................12 

InternationalJudgesandLegalScholars.................................................................................................12 

InternalControls...............................................................................................................................................13 

InterpreterServices.........................................................................................................................................13 

JudicialOutreach...............................................................................................................................................14 

LindsayFellowshipProgram...................................................................................................................14 

NelsonFellowshipProgram.....................................................................................................................14 

Jury..........................................................................................................................................................................15 

OfficialCourtReporters.................................................................................................................................15 

OperationsandStatistics...............................................................................................................................16 

CivilCasefilings.............................................................................................................................................18 

TrialandHoursIn‐CourtActivity..........................................................................................................19 

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2011AnnualReport

CivilCaseload.................................................................................................................................................20 

CriminalCaseload.........................................................................................................................................21 

ProSeStaffAttorneys.....................................................................................................................................22 

ReentryPrograms.............................................................................................................................................22 

CARE‐CourtAssistedRecoveryEffort...............................................................................................22 

RESTART‐Reentry:EmpoweringSuccessfulTodaysAndResponsibleTomorrows....22 

Training.................................................................................................................................................................23 

Observances..............................................................................................................................................................24 

PortraitCeremonies.........................................................................................................................................24 

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.UnitedStatesDistrictCourt DistrictofMassachusetts.

2011AnnualReport Page1

UnitedStatesDistrictCourtDistrictofMassachusetts

DistrictJudges

MarkL.Wolf,ChiefJudge

JosephL.Tauro DouglasP.Woodlock GeorgeA.O’Toole,Jr.

RyaW.Zobel NathanielM.Gorton F.DennisSaylor,IV

WilliamG.Young RichardG.Stearns DeniseJ.Casper

PattiB.Saris

SeniorDistrictJudges

EdwardF.Harrington MichaelA.Ponsor

MagistrateJudges

JudithG.Dein,ChiefMagistrateJudge

RobertB.Collings KennethP.Neiman TimothyS.Hillman

MarianneB.Bowler LeoT.Sorokin JenniferC.Boal

JeromeJ.Niedermeier(recalled)

OfficeoftheClerkManagementTeam

SarahAllisonThornton

ClerkofCourt

RobertM.Farrell,ChiefDeputy Clerk

StuartJ.Barer,InformationTechnologyManager

HelenM.Costello,OperationsManager

ChristineKarjel,FinancialManager

SusanJ.Mohr,HumanResourcesDirector

RobertC.Alba,WorcesterDivisionalManager

JohnC.Stuckenbruck,Springfield DivisionalManager

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MESSAGEFROMTHECHIEFAs reflected in this 2011 Annual Report, theUnitedStatesDistrictCourt for theDistrictofMassachusetts had another productive year,efficiently and effectively administeringjustice in civil and criminal cases despitediminished financial and human resources.However, perhaps most noteworthy are theexamples of the Court's dedication toperformingmorethanitscorefunctions. For example, the Court's reentryprogramsfordefendantsreleasedfromprisonhave been proven to reduce recidivism, savemoney, and give many drug addicted anddisadvantagedindividualstheopportunityforahappierlife.OurreentryprogramshavenowbecomemodelsforemulationinfederalcourtsthroughouttheUnitedStates. TheJudgeDavidS.NelsonandReginaldLindsay Fellowship programs give Bostonhigh school and college students respectivelythe opportunity towork in the summerwiththejudges,andalsototakecoursestopreparethem for college and law school. We arepleased that these programs have helpedmany of the students fulfill their oftenunrecognized great potential. In addition, some of the former Fellows now work in ourProbationandClerk'soffices,enhancingtheCourt'sabilitytoservethediversecommunitiesfromwhichtheycome. In an effort to improve the transparency of judicial proceedings and the public'sunderstanding of them, theDistrict ofMassachusetts is one of fourteen federal trial courtsparticipatinginapilotprogramtopermittherecordingandbroadcastofcivilproceedings.Inaddition, several of our judges have, at the request of the United States and foreigngovernments, taught judges, lawyers,andstudents inmanycountriesstrugglingtoestablishdemocracies. Thoseofuswhohaveparticipatedintheseendeavorsareregularlyremindedthatoursystemofjusticeis,atitsbest,aninspiringexampletocourageouspeoplethroughouttheworld,andthatwehaveadutytoperforminamannerthatdeservestheiradmiration. AsJeremyBenthemwiselyobservedlongago,"[t]helawisnotmadebythejudgealone,butbythejudgeandcompany."ThejudgesoftheDistrictofMassachusettshavethegreatgoodfortunetoworkwithanextraordinarybaranddevotedstaff,whoshareourdedicationtostrivingtogiveintegritytoournation'snobleidealofEqualJusticeUnderLaw.Onbehalfofmycolleagues,Ithank"thecompany"thatcontributessomuchtomakingitaprivilegetoserveonthisCourt.

MARK L. WOLF, CHIEF U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE

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JUDICIALACCOMPLISHMENTSJudgeDouglasP.Woodlock participatedin a symposium organized at Yale LawSchool inFebruary2011on"Representingand Contesting Ideologies of the PublicSphere" marking the publication of thevolume by Professors Judith Resnik andDennis Curtis, REPRESENTING JUSTICE;INVENTION, CONTROVERSY, AND RIGHTSIN CITY‐STATES AND DEMOCRATICCOURTHOUSES (Yale University Press2011). The papers for that symposium,including Judge Woodlock's presentation,have been published in the Winter 2012issueoftheYALEJOURNALOFLAW&THEHUMANITIES. Douglas P. Woodlock,Communities and the Courthouses TheyDeserve. And Vice Versa, 24 YALE J.L. &HUMAN.271(2012).

The Autumn 2011 issue of THE GREENBAG published Judge Woodlock'spresentation at a conference on "TheArchitecture of the Courthouse: A Franco‐American Retrospective, 1991‐2006"jointly organized in March 2009 by theUniversity of Paris‐1 and the HarvardGraduate School of Design at the InstitutNational d'Histoire de l'Art in Paris.Douglas P. Woodlock, TheAmericanCourtHouse As AHome, 15 GREEN BAG 2d 41(2011).

Judge Woodlock was appointed by ChiefJusticeRoberts in2011tobeamemberofthe Judicial Resources Committee of theJudicialConferenceoftheUnitedStates.

JudgeNathanielM.Gorton serveson theJudicial Conference Committee onIntercircuit Assignments which hasassumed added responsibility andimportance in this period of budgetaryrestraints.

Judge Gorton regularly presides over thesemi‐annual Mock Trial Eveningscoordinated by Discovering Justice andCitizenSchoolsattheMoakleyCourthouse.Each of these events involves theparticipationofover100 inner‐city schoolchildren who learn valuable lessons incivics and the workings of our justicesystem.

JudgeRichardG.Stearnscontinuedtositby designation on patent cases in theSouthernDistrictofNewYork.Hewasalsoinvited for the third successive year to siton the Third Circuit Court of Appeals inPhiladelphia. His international legal workincluded assisting the final phase of aNATO integration project in Croatia(NATO's newest member), leading adelegation of Department of Defenseofficials to a rule of law seminar in L'viv,Ukraine,representingtheU.S.attheannualmeeting of the European ConstitutionalCourts held in Sofia, Bulgaria, assistingSlovenian prosecutors in adapting to anewly instituted plea bargaining systemmodeled on U.S. federal practice, andpresenting a paper on bioterrorism at aNATOseminarheldinBudapest,Hungary.

Judge Stearns continues to chair theVincent Committee on Science andResearch as a Trustee of the Vincent atMassachusetts General Hospital. He alsopublished the 31st edition of Richard G.Stearns, Massachusetts Criminal Law: AProsecutor'sGuide.

JudgePattiB.Saris isChairof theUnitedStates Sentencing Commission and servesas a boardmember of the Federal JudgesAssociation.

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Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV serves as anAdjunct Professor of Law at BostonUniversitySchoolofLaw. InApril,hewasappointedtotheFirstCircuitCJAOversightCommittee. InMayhebeganasevenyearterm on the Foreign IntelligenceSurveillance Court. Judge Saylor was apanel member on several occasions in2011, on the MCLE 10th Annual NewEnglandBusinessLitigationConference,atthe WCBA Seminar – Judicial RoundtableDiscussion on Criminal Law, at the BBABench& Bar Conference and at the BBQALitigation Section – CLE Program on TrialPresentation. Judge Saylor was an activeparticipant as a member of the JudicialConference Committee on DefenderServices.

JudgeDenise J. Casper was sworn in onMartin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 17,2011. A public ceremony was held atFaneuilHallonFriday,February18,2011.Chief Judge Mark L. Wolf hosted theceremony at which both Senator JohnKerry and Senator Scott Brown spoke insupportofJudgeCasper.

Judge Michael A. Ponsor took SeniorStatus onAugust 15, 2011. He serves asthe Chair of the Judicial ConferenceCommittee for Space and Facilities. InSeptember, Judge Ponsor sat bydesignationfortwoweeksintheDistrictoftheNorthernMarianaIslands.

Judge Nancy Gertner released hermemoir, InDefenseofWomen:MemoirsofanUnrepentantAdvocateonApril26,2011.Judge Gertner took senior status on May22, 2011. She retired from the bench onSeptember 1, 2011 and was appointedProfessor of Practice at Harvard LawSchool.

JUDICIALCONFERENCE

In addition to the achievements noted above, the following Judges of this court served onvariousCommitteesoftheJudicialConferenceoftheUnitedStates:

ChiefJudgeMarkL.Wolf Member,JudicialConferenceoftheUnitedStates

JudgePattiB.Saris CommitteeontheBudgetJudgeMichaelA.Ponsor Chair,CommitteeonSpaceandFacilitiesJudgeRichardG.Stearns CommitteeonJudicialSecurityJudgeF.DennisSaylor,IV CommitteeonDefenderServicesSeniorJudgeEdwardF.Harrington

CommitteeontheAdministrationoftheBankruptcySystemMagistrateJudgeMarianneB.Bowler CommitteeonInternationalJudicialRelations

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LOCALCOMMITTEEANDLIAISONASSIGNMENTS

ChiefJudgeMarkL.Wolf Chair,BudgetCommitteeChair,StateCourtsCommitteeMediaOfficeoftheClerkofCourtOfficeoftheUnitedStatesAttorney

JudgeJosephL.Tauro Counselor

JudgeWilliamG.Young CounselorBarAssociationsEducationProgramsInternationalRelations

JudgeRyaW.Zobel BureauofCitizenshipandImmigrationServicesCourtReporters

JudgeDouglasP.Woodlock Member,BudgetCommitteeMember,CommitteeonAttorneyAdmissionsFundMember,CommitteeonCourtSecurityMember,CommitteeonRulesandPracticeGSA‐SpaceandFacilitiesStatisticsJudicialBenefitsSeniorJudgesResourcesandBenefitsCourtHistorian

JudgeNathanielM.Gorton Chair,CommitteeonAttorneyAdmissionsFundMember,BudgetCommitteeMagistrateJudgesDiscoveringJustice

JudgeRichardG.Stearns Chair,CommitteeonCourtSecurityChair,AlternativeDisputeResolutionCommitteeMember,NelsonandLindsayFellowsCommitteeMember,JuryCommitteeMember,ITCommitteeOfficeoftheU.S.Marshal

JudgePattiB.Saris Member,BudgetCommitteeMember,CommitteeonStateCourtsTheProbationOfficeThePretrialServicesOffice

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JudgeMichaelA.Ponsor Member,BudgetCommitteeMember,CommitteeonCourtSecurity

JudgeGeorgeA.O’Toole Member,AttorneyAdmissionsFundCommitteeMember,ITCommitteeAlternate,CommitteeonCourtSecurityAlternate,GSA‐SpaceandFacilitiesAutomationandInformationSystemsCivilProBonoandProSeOfficeHappyObservances

JudgeF.DennisSaylor,IV Chair,CommitteeonRulesandPracticeMember,CommitteeonCourtSecurityMember,JuryCommitteeTheBankruptcyCourtTheFederalPublicDefenderTheCriminalJusticeActPanel

JudgeDeniseJ.Casper Member,NelsonandLindsayFellowsCommitteeTheJuryPoolReportertotheCourt

MagistrateJudgeRobertB.CollingsMagistrateJudgeMarianneB.Bowler

Member,CommitteeonCourtSecurityMember,AlternativeDisputeResolutionCommittee

ChiefMagistrateJudgeJudithG.Dein Member,CommitteeonRulesandPracticeChair,NelsonandLindsayFellowsCommittee

MagistrateJudgeKennethP.Neiman Member,CommitteeonRulesandPractice

MagistrateJudgeLeoT.Sorokin Member,CriminalJusticeActPlanCommittee

MagistrateJudgeTimothyS.Hillman Chair,ITCommitteeMember,CommitteeonStateCourts

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THEDISTRICTATAGLANCE

ALTERNATIVEDISPUTERESOLUTION

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)Program continued to play a vital role inthepretrial resolutionof a broad rangeofcivilmattersduring2011.A total of [313]caseswerereferredtotheADRProgram,a17% increase from last year. Senior Judge

EdwardF.Harringtonservedasamediator,as did the magistrate judges in Boston,Worcester and Springfield. In addition tothe mediations conducted by judges, thecourt's volunteer ADR Panel membersmediatedafewcases.

BUDGET

TheDistrictofMassachusettshasanactiveBudget Committee consisting of ChiefDistrict JudgeMark L.Wolf, Judge DouglasP. Woodlock, Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton,JudgePattiB.Saris,JudgeMichaelA.Ponsor,and Chief Bankruptcy Judge Frank Bailey.The committee reviews and approvesspending plans prepared by the unitexecutives.

Itwasachallengingbudgetenvironmentforbudget committee members and budgetpersonnel. The courtwasnot fully fundeduntilMay13,2011. Thecourtunitshadtoexercise restraint in spending decisions

until they received the enacted full‐yearappropriation. An additional challengecame with only 4.5 months to spend thefinalallotments.

TheDistrict Court concluded theyearwiththe successful procurement of manynecessary projects including: cyclicalreplacement of new computers; wirelessnetwork in all three courthouses; JuryEvidence Recording Systems (JERS) for 10courtrooms; new records managementsystem;renovationoftheWorcesterclerk’soffice and completion of much neededcyclicalmaintenanceprojects.

CRIMINALJUSTICEACT

The enactment of the Criminal Justice Act(CJA) of 1964 and its subsequentamendment in 1970 established acomprehensive system for appointing andcompensating lawyers to representfinancially eligible defendants in federalcriminalproceedings.

In accordance with the District ofMassachusetts’s CJA Plan, the FederalDefender’s Office shall receive at least

thirty‐five[35]percentofallassignmentsintheEasternandCentralDivisionsannually.CJApanelattorneysreceivethosecasesthattheFDOcannottake.Theprimarygoalistomaximizerandomassignmentandequitabledistributionofcases.

In2011,JudgeF.DennisSaylor,IVassumedthe liaison Judge responsibilities for CJAmatters and Attorney Peter Kruppcontinued as the Chair of the CJA Board

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alongwiththefollowingattorneys:VictoriaM. Bonilla‐Argudo, Roberto M. Braceras,J.W.Carney,Jr.,PatriciaGarin,JohnP.Pucci,EdwardP.Ryan, Jr.,A.HughScott,KathyB.Weinman,WilliamM.White,Jr.,andFederalDefender Miriam Conrad. The CJA Boardcoordinates several training programs forcriminaldefenseattorneysduring theyear,alongwith the FDO and othermembers ofthecriminalbar.

A link to the National CJA VoucherReference Tool was posted to the court’swebsite. This on‐line reference toolprovides quick access to the policies andprocedures related to CJA cases, beginningwith the appointment of panel attorneysand continuing through the processing ofvouchers to the approval of payment forservicesrendered.

The District of Massachusetts accepted aninvitation from the Office of DefenderServicestoparticipateintheElectronicCJAVoucher Processing System (eCJA VPS)project,scheduledfortheDecember,2012‐February, 2013 period. The nationalapplication will allow for electronicsubmission, processing, approval andpaymentofCJAvouchers. Thegoalsof theeCJA VPS include: (1) promoting increasedefficiencies; (2) increasing financialintegrity by reducing/eliminatingirregularities and errors associated withCJA claims processing; (3)maintaining thequality of CJA panels; and (4) providingenhanced reporting capabilities. Thenational electronic voucher processingsystemwill promote cost containment andincrease the efficiency of CJA panelattorneys,AppellateandDistrictCourts,andfederaldefenderorganizations.

DIVISIONALOFFICES

SPRINGFIELD

On March 31 and June 29, naturalizationceremonieswereheldatthecourthouse.ASeptember 16 ceremony was held atWestern New England University LawSchool and presided over by MagistrateJudge Neiman. On July 4, 2011, JudgePonsor held an outdoor naturalizationceremony at the Hampshire CountyCourthouseinNorthampton,MA.

Softwarecodeforanewelectronicsignageprogram was written for the SpringfieldCourthouse. This included a revisedinterface and new floor map graphics forthe interactive kiosks near the entranceandmonitorsatelevatorlocations.Dataisnow pulled automatically from the

ChambersElectronicOrganizerprogramtoupdatethedailycourtschedules

On January 11, a program called “Careersin the Courts” was presided over byMagistrate Judge Neiman and held in hiscourtroom. The program was sponsoredbyMassMutualLifeInsuranceCompanyforhonors students from Springfield highschools.Representativesfromthedifferentcourtrelatedagenciesinthebuildingspokeabout their public service careers andansweredquestionsfromthestudents.

WORCESTER

On December 30, 2011, renovation of theclerk’s office space in Worcester wascompleted. The renovation expanded

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available work space, enhanced lighting,addedanewkitchenetteareaandcreatedamore open, bright environment withimprovedworkflowefficiency.

On April 21, June 10 and September 29,2011naturalization ceremonieswereheld

at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. JudgeNeimanandJudgeSaylorpresidedattheseceremonies at which [2,192] new citizenswerenaturalized.

FINANCE

Thecourt’sfinancialstaffimplementedtwonew treasury initiatives, Treasury GeneralAccount Deposit Reporting Network(TGAnet) and the Treasury ReportingSystem (TRS). TGAnet enables federalprogram agency users to report over‐the‐counter receipts in a secure, web‐basedsystem. TRS is used for verifying depositswithTreasury.

Reporting criminal debt payments to theOffice of the United States Attorney wasstreamlined with the new automated

Consolidated Debt Collection System(CDCD). The defendant paymenttransactions are extracted for pre‐determined debt types and a text file isgenerated that is sent via e‐mailweekly totheFinancialLitigationUnitof theofficeoftheUnitedStatesAttorney.

In 2011, the financial staff issued [25,315]payments. Restitutionpayments representa significant portion of that total with[4,651]paymentstotaling[$3,495,050.11].

Bankruptcy, 7%

Circuit, 10%

District, 10%

Federal Public Defender, 6%

Jurors, 38%

Probation & Pretrial Services, 10%

Restitution & Registry, 19%

VOUCHER PROCESSING TYPES

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HUMANRESOURCES

TheDistrictofMassachusettsiscommittedtotheprinciplesofequalityandfairnessinall aspectsof employment,without regardto race, color, national origin, gender,religion, age, disability and/or sexualorientation. All employment opportunitieswere advertised in newspapers ofwidespreadcirculationandposted ineachdivision.Inaddition,jobpostingsappearedonthewebsitefortheUnitedStatesDistrictCourtfortheDistrictofMassachusettsandon the national website for the UnitedStatesCourts.

Therewereanumberofsignificantstaffingchanges in 2011 as the result of severalretirementsandaresignation.Retirementscame about as the result of government‐wide budget concerns that prompted thesubmission of a plan to restructure theclerk's office and offer buy out incentivesthatwould allow for voluntary reductionsin staff and limit the need for involuntaryactions.

Thenewyearbeganwiththeclerk’sofficemaking the transition to theHRMIS LeaveTracking Program. IT staff at theAdministrative Office provide full supportfor HRMIS Leave Tracking, therebyallowing local IT staff to focus on otherinitiatives and eliminated the cost tomaintainourpriorsystem.

InMarch, the clerk’s office began utilizingHRMIS ePerformance, an automatedprogram for the preparation of annualperformance evaluations. Performancescores obtained during this process wereused later in the year to determine thepayment of performance‐baseddiscretionary steps to eligible employees

meeting and exceeding performanceexpectationsfortheyear.

In May, during Public Service RecognitionWeek,staffinallthreeofficesfromBostonto Worcester to Springfield, wererecognized for their hard work anddedication,andstaffreachingcertainyearsof service (in multiples of five) wereprovidedwithserviceawardpins.

InAugust, anHR Forumwas held inOhiothat provided a good opportunity fornetworking with fellow HR professionalsfrom other courts and sharing ideasregardingHRpolicy.Thebudgetwasahottopic, with much emphasis placed onbuyouts, early outs, voluntary transfers topart‐time positions, voluntary LWOPs andinvoluntaryfurloughs.

In October, the Judiciary implemented afreezeonallstepincreasesandpromotionsin response to mounting concernsregarding the budget and the ability tomeet payroll in fiscal year 2012 thatcommencedOctober1,2011.

In November, the annual Open SeasonHealth Fairwas held at the courthouse inBoston,withrepresentativesfrommanyofthehealthinsuranceplansinattendance,aswell as other local area vendors offeringinformation and guidance on a variety ofhealth‐related topics ranging fromchiropractic care, dental alternatives tomental health assistance. New this year,theHRstaffputtogetherasummaryforallstaff outlining the additional benefitsoffered at little to no cost by the variousplans in the Federal Employees HealthBenefitsProgram(FEHBP).Theseincludedfitness programs and discounts, nutrition

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and weight management counseling,disease management and online resourcetools.

Throughout the year, the HR teamidentifiedandprovidedinformationtostaffon a variety of monthly heritagecelebrations, and coordinated a couple of

specialeventswiththeofficeoftheUnitedStates Attorney to bring additionalinformation to interested employees. Forexample, in December an event incelebration of Native American HeritageincludedadocumentarywithDianeSawyerfromABCNewsentitled,"HiddenAmerica:ChildrenofthePlains."

IMMIGRATION&NATURALIZATION

The Judges of this District conducted [55]naturalization ceremonies during 2011,swearing in [21,791] new citizens. TheDistrict continues toworkwith the UnitedStates Citizenship and Immigration Serviceto provide ceremonies in accessible andhistorically significant venues. In 2011,ceremonieswereheldatvenuesthroughoutMassachusetts, including each federalcourthouse, Faneuil Hall, Fenway Park,Gloucester City Hall, the Golden Stairs inEast Boston, the JFK Library, the LowellMemorial Auditorium, Mechanics Hall inWorcester,theSeaportWorldTradeCenter,andtheU.S.S.Constitution.

INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY(IT)

ELECTRONICCOURTROOMS

The electronic evidence presentationsystems in courtrooms 9, 10, and 19 inBostonandcourtroom2inWorcesterwerecompletely redesigned and updated in2011.Thecourtalsoinstalledmuchneedednewaudiosystemsincourtrooms8,17,and20.

FDSYSOPINIONSPILOTPROJECT

Opinions issued by the Judges of the courtareavailable ina searchable formaton theFdsys public access system. This is a pilotproject by the Government Printing Office.The GPO provides public access togovernment information over the internet.Fdsys has a robust search engine that cansearchacrossopinionsandmultiplecourts.Opinions are extracted from the court’s

29,414

17,458

24,05021,791

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

2008 2009 2010 2011

Naturalized Citizens

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CM/ECF system on a nightly basis andpostedontheFDSYSsiteat:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=USCOURTS

KACEAPPLIANCE

The Dell KACE 1000 appliance waspurchased to assist with workstationmanagementandsoftwaredistribution.Theappliance is being used to distribute allworkstation patches and security updates.The court’s IT staff also uses the built‐in

helpdesk ticketing system to track troublecallsanddailytasks.

WIRELESSNETWORK

A wireless (wifi) network was installed inDecember to provide coverage in allcourtrooms, chambers, and clerk’s officeareas, as well as probation and pretrial.This is for use with court‐owned devicesandisoptimizedforiPads,BlackberrysandPCdevices.

INTERNATIONALJUDGESANDLEGALSCHOLARS

The court hostedmany visiting Judges andlegal scholars in 2011. Judges from CzechRepublic and Ukraine, members of theJudiciary from South Korea, Mexico andKazakhstan, Chinese law professors,Chinese law students and barristers fromthe United Kingdom all visited thecourthouse.

In August, fourteen attorneys from SouthAmerica,Russia,Turkey,Switzerland,Japanand Korea visited with Judge Nathaniel

Gorton.Theattorneyswerestudying“LegalEnglish for Practitioners” at BostonUniversity,anintensiveclassthatcombineslearningEnglishwithasurveyofAmericanlaw.

Duringtheirvisit,thestudentshadatourofthe Moakley Courthouse provided byDiscovering Justice, observed criminalproceedings, and had a lively discussionwithJudgeGorton.

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INTERNALCONTROLS

In response to “Guide for JudiciaryPolicy”updates, and to address additionalseparationofdutiesrequirementsfromtheAdministrative Office of the United StatesCourts (the AO), the Internal ControlsAnalyst (the analyst) developedcompensating controls, proposedindividual job role changes and initiatedaudit testing programs to ensurecompliance with the new mandates. Theanalyst created, and the IT departmentprogrammed, an application to produce areport from the District Court’s financialinformation system targeting updates tovendor logs, thereby increasing theefficiencyandeffectivenessof themonthlyreview process for new vendors.Procedures for tracking and maintenanceofnoncashcollateralalsowereinitiated.

The analyst continued the process oftesting transactions, assessing risk andconducting reviews of the major financerelated functional sections within theclerk’s office in Boston and at theWorcester and Springfield divisionaloffices. A verification of the data andformulasusedby theAO todetermine theDistrict Court’s FY 2011 allotments wasperformed,aswasanupdateofthecourt’sInternalControlsManual.

The analyst completed continuingeducationcoursework from theAmericanInstituteofCertifiedPublicAccountants inthe areas of governmental accounting,internal controls for financial managers,forensicauditingandethics.

INTERPRETERSERVICES

Courtinterpreterswereprovidedfor[377]litigants in court proceedings in FY 2011.Of those, [308] or 80% were for theSpanish language. The remaining [69] or18%, required interpreters for [11] otherlanguages. A total of $108,196was spenton interpreting services in FY 2011, anominal increase from 2010 when$107,984 was expended on interpretingservices.

INTERPRETER SERVICES

Language  Events 

Arabic 1

Cambodian(use Khmer) 1

Cantonese 2

Creole (Haitian) [Certified] 2

Italian 2

Spanish [Non-Cert] 2

Albanian 4

Romanian 4

Mandarin 6

Russian 6

Portuguese 18

Vietnamese 23

Spanish [Certified] 306

FY 2011 Totals 377

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JUDICIALOUTREACH

On June 2, 2011, “Inventing DemocraticCourts: Art, Architecture and Justice”broughtJudithResnickandDennisCurtistodiscuss their book, Representing Justice:Invention, Controversy and Rights in City‐States and Democratic Courtrooms. JudgeNancy Gertner moderated the discussionwith the panel of commentators including,Justice Stephen Breyer, Judge Douglas P.Woodlock, Robert Campbell and Henry N.Cobb.

LINDSAYFELLOWSHIPPROGRAM

Following Judge Reginald C. Lindsay’suntimely death in 2009, this courtestablished an educational studentfellowship in his honor. The LindsayFellowship is designed to assist collegesophomores or juniors who express astronginterestinlawschool.Althoughfirstpreference is given topastNelsonFellows,any college studentwith an interest in thelawmayapply.In2011,sixstudentswereselectedfortheLindsayprogram.

The Fellowship is an intensive two monthprogram.Duringthefirstmonth,thefellows

attended a four week class on LegalResearchandWriting,taughtbyalocallawschool professor, observed courtproceedings in the District Court and theCourt of Appeals and visited other courts.Duringthesecondmonth,theFellowsspentfourweeksineithertheOfficeoftheUnitedStates Attorney or the Federal PublicDefender Office. The Fellows returned tothe District Court after their month in theother offices to compete in a moot courtproceeding, arguing a motion they hadpreparedaspartoftheirlegalresearchandwritingclass.

NELSONFELLOWSHIPPROGRAM

The Nelson Fellowship Program, named inhonor of the late Judge David S. Nelson,graduated [14] students in 2011, itsfifteenthyear.

Duringthe2011term,theFellowsattendededucational programs, met with civicleaders and performed public service. Oneof the highlights of the term was going tothe “Future Stars” camp andworkingwiththechildrenthere.

PHOTOGRAPHCOURTESYOFGOVERNOR'SOFFICE

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JURY

The jury department sets the standard forcustomer service within the United StatesDistrict Court. Jurors consistently respondwith positive feedback regarding theirexperienceduringjuryservice.In2011theDistrict sat [96] juries, [48] civil and [48]criminal.

A total of28.1%ofpetit jurorspresent forselectionintheDistrictofMassachusettsin2011 were not selected, serving orchallenged (NSSC) on the first day ofservice. This was a decrease from thecourt's 30.1% reported in 2010. Thedistrict remains well below the nationalaverage for 2011 of 36.8%. The JudicialConference has set an approved utilizationgoalof30%orless.

OFFICIALCOURTREPORTERS

Asindicatedinthetablebelow,thein‐courthoursduring2011decreasedfrom2010by3%.Thetotalnumberoforiginaltranscriptpages produced in 2011 increased by 7%.

On average, reporters spent 371 hours incourt and produced 9,719 originaltranscriptpagesin2011.

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011In‐CourtHours 6,438 6,437 5,490 5,373 5,203

OriginalTranscriptPagesproduced

114,644 138,356 113,038 126,911 136,078

2007 2008 2009 2010

69 71 72 62

52 4825 45

Juries Selected

Civil Criminal

32.1%34.9%

30.1%28.1%

37.9%40.1% 40.0%

36.8%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

2008 2009 2010 2011

Jurors Not Selected, Serving or Challenged

District of Massachusetts

National Average

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OPERATIONSANDSTATISTICS

Theoperationssectionoftheclerk’sofficeisresponsible for civil and criminal caseprocessing and management. Thecourtroom deputy clerks assigned todistrict judges and magistrate judgesmanage the judges’ calendars and cases.The docket deputy clerks focus on qualityassurance and maintaining the electroniccase docket and file. The data qualityanalysts focus their efforts on the morecomplexissuesaffectingcaseopenings,caseclosingsandstatisticalreporting.

JERS(JuryEvidenceRecordingSystem)

TheDistrictCourtbeganapilotprograminearly 2011 to evaluate the jury evidencerecording system (JERS). During trial, thecourtroom deputy clerk uses the programto mark exhibits as admitted and releasesthemto the juryduringdeliberations. Thesystem includes a large, touch‐screenmonitor mounted in the jury deliberationroom where jurors can select and viewexhibits. The system is able to displayaudio, video, text and other mediasubmittedasevidenceinthetrial.

Asapilot,thecourtsuccessfullytestedJERScapabilities in two criminal jury trialsbefore the Honorable George A. O’Toole.JudgeO’Toole,theOfficeoftheUnitesStatesAttorney, defense counsel, and our jurors,all reported positive feedback of thesystem’s ease and accuracy. Following thesuccessful pilot, the JERS system wasinstalled in all our electronic courtroomsassignedtodistrictjudges.

Camerasinthecourtroom

The District Court for the District ofMassachusetts is one of fourteen federaltrial courts taking part in the FederalJudiciary’s digital video pilot program thatstarted July 18, 2011 andwill evaluate theeffect of cameras in the courtroom.Courtroom 2 in the John J. MoakleyCourthousewillbeusedforthisproject. Itis equipped with a built‐in video system,integrated with the existing electroniccourtroomequipment.

Proceedingswillonlyberecordedwith theapproval of the presiding judge and theconsentofparties.Therecordingsaremadeavailable on the national website of theUnitedStatesCourts.Apresiding judgecanchoose to stop a recording to protect therightsofparties,witnesses,preservedignityof the court or chosenot topost the videofor public viewing. The pilot program islimitedtocivilproceedings,andcoverageofthe jury venire, jurors or alternates isprohibited.ChiefJudgeMarkL.Wolf,JudgeGeorge A. O’Toole and Judge Denise J.Casper have recorded proceedings withsuccess and posted the hearings, availablethroughthislink:

http://www.uscourts.gov/multimedia/cameras/player.aspx

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CEO

OnApril 11, 2011 theDistrict Court beganusingChambersElectronicOrganizer(CEO)to automatically produce our daily courtcalendar and to post it to the court’sinternetsite. CEO interfaceswithCM/ECF,automatically updating the court calendarthroughout theday toprovide themostupto date information based on the casedockets.

All sessions of the court are using theChambers Electronic Organizer (CEO). Itprovides current schedule information tojudges and court employees in an easilypersonalized calendar. The calendar isautomatically generated from courtproceedings entered in CM/ECF. TheCEOweb calendar is a component of theprogramthatextractsdatafromallsessionsandautomaticallypoststhedailydocketonourcourt’swebsite.

Statistics

Set forth below are caseload statistics thatcompareseveralareasofcourtactivityfrom2008through2011.Itisimportanttonoteinthesecomparisonsthatdatacompiledbythe Administrative Office of the UnitedStates Courts provides the average for theDistrict of Massachusetts by dividing thetime reportedbyeach judge in theDistrictbytheauthorizedjudgeshipsintheDistrict.The district had a vacancy fromMay 2009untilDecember2010. The lowerstatisticalaverages for trials held and time in courtduring2009and2010reflectthedecreasednumberofjudges.

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CIVILCASEFILINGS

TheCaseManagement/ElectronicCaseFiles(CM/ECF) system is the automated toolused for electronic case filing and casemanagement.AttorneyswithCM/ECFfilingaccess are required to file all documentselectronically. In the past five years, weconsistentlyhavereducedthepercentageofCivil Case filings that are entered by court

users. This reduction in docketing activityhas been replaced by ongoingimprovements in quality control, user helpdesk support and additional CM/ECFtrainingprovidedtomembersofourbar.

In 2011, we experienced a modest 3%increaseinourcivilcasefilings.

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

33.2%44.6%

64.4% 67.0% 66.3%

25.1%

23.1%

22.5% 22.1% 26.3%41.6%32.3%

13.1% 10.9% 7.4%

Annual Percentage of Civil Case Filings by User Type

Attorney Filings Court User Required Court User for Attorney

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

2007=2,969

2008=2,659

2009=2,694

2010=2,755

2011=2,861

987 1,1861,734 1,846 1,896

746 613

607 608 7531,236 860353 301 212

Annual Total of Civil Case Filings by User Type

Attorney Filings Court User Required Court User for Attorney

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TRIALANDHOURSIN‐COURTACTIVITY

The total number of trials (hearingsinvolving the presentation of evidence)conducted by the District Judges of thiscourtdecreased24%from[220]in2010to[168] this past year. Similarly, the totalnumberof juryandnon‐jury trials startedduring this period decreased 18% from[118]in2010to[97]in2011.

The total in‐court hours forDistrict Judgesfell 10.7% from [5,340] in 2010 to [4,769]in 2011. Hours on trial decreased 20.8%[3,137]in2010to[2,486]in2011.Thetotalamountof in‐courthours spentonmattersother than trials increased 3.6% from[2,202] in 2010 to [2,282] in 2011. Theaverage trial hours reported by activejudges in this District for 2011 was [191]hours per judgeship compared to thenational average of [200] hours perjudgeship.

137

116 11897

261

217 220

168

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2008 2009 2010 2011

Trials Held

Jury/Non‐Jury Total

251.5 233.3 241 191

189.6 182.5 169 176

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

2008 2009 2010 2011

Hours in Court

Trial Non‐trial

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CIVILCASELOAD

During 2011, [2,964] civil caseswere filedintheDistrictofMassachusetts,[3,005]civilcases were terminated and [3,059] civilcases were pending at the end of thecalendar year. Civil filings increased 2.4%

from [2,892] in 2010 to [2,964] in 2011.Thisincreasewasbelowthenationaltrendwhich showed an overall increase of 5.2%for2011.

For2011,ourcivilfilingsincludedthefollowingcasetypes:

2400

2500

2600

2700

2800

2900

3000

3100

3200

2008 2009 2010 2011

Civil Case Activity

Filed  Terminated  Pending

Contract17%

Real Property4%

Personal Injury7%Other Tort

4%

Civil Rights15%

Prisoner Petitions12%

Copyright, Patent & Trademark

7%

Labor Suits9%

All Other17%

Forfeiture & Penalties

1%

Social Security7%

Civil Case Types

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CRIMINALCASELOAD

TheDistrictofMassachusettsopened[397]criminal cases in 2011, involving [570]criminal defendants. A total of [463]criminal cases and [641] criminaldefendantswereclosedin2011.Bytheendof theyear, [540] criminal cases and [846]criminal defendants were pending.

Criminal case filings increased 1.8% from[390] in2010 to [397] in2011, incontrasttothe1.2%decreaseinthenationalaveragefor the year. The number of new criminaldefendants commenced rose 4.2% from[547]in2010to[570]in2011,greaterthanthe1.3%increaseinthenationalaverage.

For2011,thecriminalcasefilingsconsistedofthefollowingcasetypes:

468

354390 397

603

526 547 570

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2008 2009 2010 2011

Criminal Cases & Defendants

Cases Defendants

Violence3% Burglary, Larceny & 

Theft3%

Fraud & Embezzlement

22%

Drugs31%

Firearm & Explosives

13%

Sex6%

Immigration8%

Other14%

Criminal Offense Types

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PROSESTAFFATTORNEYS

TheProSeStaffAttorneysprovidesupporttothedistrictandmagistratejudgesincivilcases in which a plaintiff seeks in formapauperisstatusand/orisproceedingprose.In 2011, prisoners and other detainedpersons filed [337] lawsuits in the Districtof Massachusetts. Approximately [383]additionalcaseswerefiledbynon‐prisoner

indigent plaintiffs. The Pro Se StaffAttorneysassistintheadministrationofthecourt’s pro bono program for civil cases.Newprobonoappointmentsweremade in[16] cases in 2011. Pro bono counselcontinued to represent clients in [16]additionalcasesthatwerependingpriorto2011.

REENTRYPROGRAMS

TheDistrictofMassachusettsprovidestworeentry programs, the Court AssistedRecovery Effort (CARE) and the Reentry:Empowering Successful Today’s AndResponsibleTomorrows(RESTART).Bothprograms serve as models for nationalefforts to reduce recidivism through highfrequency interaction between the newlyreleased, at‐risk offender and the court.Theprogramssupport thedevelopmentof

life skills that promote a sober, employedreintegration into the community. Theprograms are successful due to theoversight of the presiding judge, thesupervisionof theUnitedStatesProbationOffice, assistance from many state andpublic service agencies and mostimportantly,theworkanddedicationoftheoffendersthemselves.

CARE‐COURTASSISTEDRECOVERYEFFORT

The CARE Program ‐ The Court AssistedRecovery Effort (CARE) continued tosucceed in 2011, the fifth year of theprogram. Magistrate Judge Leo T. Sorokinpresides over the CARE program, assistingoffenders who have a long term personalstrugglewithsubstanceabuse.

RESTART‐REENTRY:EMPOWERINGSUCCESSFULTODAYSANDRESPONSIBLE

TOMORROWS

The RESTART program completed itssecond year in 2011. Magistrate JudgeTimothyHillmanpresidesovertheprogramthat assists high‐risk ex‐offenderswho areonsupervisedrelease.

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TRAINING

Courtstaffparticipatedinovertwohundredcoursesessionsduring2011,totaling1,197hours. Training was offered on a widevariety of topics, including locallydeveloped applications such as the revisedCriminalJusticeActAssignmentSystemandthe new Interpreter Scheduling Utility.Other sessionswere offered by court staff,to court staff, on Excel. CM/ECF classeswere offered regularly to attorneys andtheirsupportstaff.

The court’s training coordinatorparticipated inaseriesof “Transitioning toWord” webinars offered by theAdministrative Office’s AutomationTrainers’ Community of Practice, inanticipationofthiscourt’stransitiontothatsoftware.

In 2011, seven employees were trainedremotely to use CM/ECF, taking advantageoftheon‐lineCM/ECFclassesofferedbytheSDSDbranchoftheAdministrativeOffice.

The finance staff participated in classes onE‐CJA and OTCnet. Procurement staff andothers with a fiduciary responsibilitycontinued their education taking programssuch as the Judiciary Executive Program.Human resources staff participated inclasses on health benefits and the courtpersonnelsystem.

CourtroomdeputyclerkslearnedtousetheJuryEvidenceRecordingSystem(JERS)anddemonstrations of the JERS software werealsoprovidedtomembersofthebar.

The clerk’s office has begun to create on‐linetrainingmodulesforJudges,courtstaff,thebarandpublic.Documentationhasbeenupdated or created as needed for newprojects, such as the “Virtual Press Box”offeredthroughCM/ECFtomembersofthemedia.

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OBSERVANCES

PORTRAITCEREMONIES

Judge Nancy Gertner – Judge Gertner’sportraitwasunveiledonMay4, 2011.Theceremony included presentations fromJudge Douglas P. Woodlock, HarveySilverglate, Thomas Dwyer, ProfessorDouglasBerman,HonorableHaroldHongjuKoh, Legal advisor to the United StatesDepartment of State, Rangita De Silva‐DeAlwis, Ellen Zucker and Michael Bunis.Judge Gertner’s portrait was painted bySteven Polson ofWoodcliff Lake, NJ and ishungincourtroom2.

Judge Douglas P. Woodlock – JudgeWoodlock’sportraitwasunveiledonJune3,2011. The ceremony includedpresentations from Justice Stephen Breyer,Chief Judge Sandra L. Lynch, Chief JudgeMarkL.Wolf,IngaBernsteinandThomasA.Reed. Judge Woodlock’s portrait waspainted by David Goatley of BritishColumbia,CNandishungincourtroom3.