"US Federal Courts Crack Down on 'Judge Shopping' Tactics with Random Case Assignments"
The U.S. federal judiciary has implemented a new policy to combat "judge shopping," a tactic used by state attorneys general, activists, and companies to file lawsuits in courthouses with sympathetic judges. This move aims to prevent the targeting of specific judges in smaller courthouses, which has been used to block elements of President Joe Biden's agenda. The policy requires lawsuits challenging state or federal laws to be randomly assigned to judges throughout a federal district, rather than being heard by judges in specific courthouses. The change comes in response to concerns over the strategic selection of favorable venues for lawsuits, particularly in Texas, and has been welcomed by Democratic lawmakers.