Federal courts set to run out of money Friday because of government shutdown

Chief U.S. District Judge John Tunheim , seen in his office. Credit: Dvid Joles, Star Tribune

In Minnesota, the chief judge is set to deem all 223 staff members essential.

The federal courts are set to run out of cash on Friday, likely meaning nonessential workers at the 94 federal district courts, and at higher courts across the country, may have to stay home even as skeleton crews show up — without pay — to handle matters deemed essential under U.S. law, including many criminal cases.

And companies that turn to the federal courts to resolve fights with rivals and customers may find themselves in limbo if the government shutdown continues beyond this week.

The system has enough money left over from fees and other sources to run through Friday, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, which supports the judiciary. Individual courts and judges will then decide how to fulfill those critical functions, said courts spokesman David Sellers. He pointed to earlier shutdowns, the longest of which was the 21-day furlough that started in December 1995 and ended in January 1996. A shutdown beyond Friday would break that record.

View the complete January 8 article by Erik Larson of Bloomberg News on The Star Tribune website here.