Federal Courts Studying How Long They Can Operate if There's New Shutdown

Officials are studying how long the federal judiciary's funded operations could continue if there's another government shutdown after Feb. 15, said the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday. It cited an update from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Monday that said, "Similar to how courts operated from Oct. 1, 2018, through Dec. 21, 2018, courts have been advised to limit obligations to those necessary to carry out their mission and maintain current operations." Courts sustained funded operations during the partial shutdown that began Dec. 22 by deferring "non-critical operating costs" and using court filing fees and other available funds, said the office, noting the money was expected to run out this Friday (see 1901230014) before a continuing resolution was enacted last week.