Copyright The Boston Globe
PROVIDENCE — The US District Court for Rhode Island on Monday announced that it no longer has enough money “to sustain full, paid operations” because of the federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1. “During this period, the court will maintain only those operations necessary to carry out its constitutional and statutory duties,” Court Clerk Hanorah Tyer-Witek wrote. “While certain functions will continue, members of the public, the bar, and litigants may experience reduced operations, limited staffing, and potential delays in some services.” The court’s electronic case filing system will remain in operation for criminal and civil cases, and the court will provide updates as more information becomes available or as circumstances change, Tyer-Witek wrote. The government shutdown comes as the US District Court in Rhode Island has emerged as a key legal battleground for lawsuits challenging the Trump administration decisions affecting billions of dollars in federal funding for everything from education to transportation, from wind power to crime victims. While Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha has joined other attorneys general in 37 lawsuits against the Trump administration, a dozen of those have landed in the US District Court in downtown Providence. Other coalitions of advocates and nonprofit organizations have also filed significant lawsuits in Rhode Island’s small federal courthouse. Advertisement After the shutdown began Oct. 1, the federal judiciary was able to continue paid operations through Oct. 17, with limited additional work performed over the weekend of Oct. 18-19, by tapping into court fee balances and other funds. But on Friday, the judicial branch announced that it would no longer have the needed funding after Monday. “Until the ongoing lapse in government funding is resolved, federal courts will maintain limited operations necessary to perform the judiciary’s constitutional functions,” the judiciary announced. Federal judges will continue to serve after Monday “in accordance with the Constitution,” but court staff would “only perform certain excepted activities permitted under the Anti-Deficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending federal funds in advance or in excess of an appropriation, the judiciary said. Advertisement Examples of excepted work include activities necessary to perform constitutional functions, activities necessary for the safety of human life and protection of property, and activities otherwise authorized by federal law, the judiciary announced. Excepted work will be performed without pay during the funding lapse, and staff members not performing that work will be placed on furlough. The federal judiciary has about 32,000 staff members nationwide. Case information will be available on PACER. Individual courts will determine which cases will continue on schedule, and which may be delayed. The jury program will continue because it is paid for with funds not affected by the shutdown. Jurors should follow instructions from courts and report to courthouses as directed, the judiciary announced. Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
