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In an extraordinary attempt to assure the American public that justice is being served, the justices from the 9th Circuit federal court system (which includes the Court of Appeals, Federal District, and the bankruptcy courts from nine western states and two Pacific Island territories) along with lawyers and court staff, will host their annual judicial conference at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa… at the cost of about $1 million dollars in taxpayer money.
These judicial darlings will enjoy such harsh disciplines as “yoga, surfing lessons, stand up paddle board lessons, Zumba (a Latin-inspired dance program), a tennis tournament, a day trip and tour of Upcountry Maui, a Gemini Catamaran snorkle trip, and an activity called ‘The Aloha Experience.'”
The Ninth District is long known as the bastion of the liberal courts, with 64% of its sitting judges having been appointed by Democrats. It is also the District Court with the highest rate of being overturned by the Supreme Court.
Other District Courts are trying to rein in expenses. The Eighth Circuit is holding its judicial conference in the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. The Seventh District will be holding its conference in Chicago, teaming up for three days with the District’s Bar Association. And the Sixth District is having its conference in Lexington, Kentucky.
Federal law permits these conferences, but in this era of budget woes, some are even canceling them—such as the three courts in New England, the Rocky Mountain states, and some mid-Atlantic states. The Washington, D.C. circuit is holding their conference in Farmington, Pennsylvania where rooms cost $110 per night.
While their political activism may not win the Ninth Circuit any favors in typical America, it’s obvious that they can dance a mean Zumba, can channel their inner judiciary with yoga, and those snorkel trips can help them hold their noses and their breath in disdain for the American taxpayer who funds this lavish lifestyle.
