Rocket docket
Encyclopedia
A rocket docket refers to a court or other tribunal that is noted for its speedy disposition of cases and controversies that come before it, often by maintaining strict adherence to the law as pertains to filing deadlines, etc.
The term was originally applied to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
, after Judge Albert V. Bryan Jr.
, who ran the federal courthouse in Alexandria, decided that justice was being dispensed too slowly for his liking. The court earned the nickname among attorneys practicing there in the 1960s, who told stories of Bryan ruling on the spot when motions
were argued, and trying entire cases in one afternoon.
Later the term was applied to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
. Other jurisdictions that have been characterized as rocket dockets include the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
; the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
; the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
; and the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
.
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
has designated its expedited examination of design patent
applications as a rocket docket.
In Jefferson County
(Louisville
), Kentucky
a team of prosecutors is assigned to the Progressive Criminal Justice Plan, referred to as the "rocket docket," for speedy resolution of certain criminal matters.
Another notable "rocket docket" court involves Lee County, Florida
(Fort Myers
), home of numerous foreclosure
proceedings due to the collapse of the Florida housing market, where on some days the court hears up to 1,000 cases per day (assuming an 8-hour day, this equates to less than 30 seconds per case) and the entire case consists of two questions: 1) Is the homeowner behind on mortgage payments? 2) Is the homeowner still in the house? Whereupon the judge allows the homeowner 60 days to work out a matter with the bank or lose the house.
The term was originally applied to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
, after Judge Albert V. Bryan Jr.
Albert V. Bryan Jr.
Albert Vickers Bryan Jr. is a United States federal judge.Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Bryan's father Albert Vickers Bryan, was also a federal judge. Bryan served in the United States Marine Corps reserve from 1944 to 1946, and then received an LL.B. from University of Virginia School of Law in...
, who ran the federal courthouse in Alexandria, decided that justice was being dispensed too slowly for his liking. The court earned the nickname among attorneys practicing there in the 1960s, who told stories of Bryan ruling on the spot when motions
Motion (legal)
In law, a motion is a procedural device to bring a limited, contested issue before a court for decision. A motion may be thought of as a request to the judge to make a decision about the case. Motions may be made at any point in administrative, criminal or civil proceedings, although that right is...
were argued, and trying entire cases in one afternoon.
Later the term was applied to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is the Federal district court with jurisdiction over the eastern part of Texas and is a part of the Fifth Circuit. The court's headquarters are in Tyler, Texas and has five subdivision offices in Beaumont, Lufkin, Marshall,...
. Other jurisdictions that have been characterized as rocket dockets include the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties of California: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San...
; the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
United States District Court for the Southern District of California
The United States District Court for the Southern District of California is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties in California: Imperial and San Diego. In terms of filed indictments, it is one of the busiest criminal districts in the United States...
; the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia is a United States District Court which serves the residents of forty-six counties...
; and the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin sits in Madison at the Robert W. Kastenmeier United States Courthouse. It has two district judges and one full-time magistrate judge. The clerk of the court is a part-time magistrate judge...
.
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property identification.The USPTO is based in Alexandria, Virginia,...
has designated its expedited examination of design patent
Design patent
In the United States, a design patent is a patent granted on the ornamental design of a functional item. Design patents are a type of industrial design right. Ornamental designs of jewelry, furniture, beverage containers and computer icons are examples of objects that are covered by design...
applications as a rocket docket.
In Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
(Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
), Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
a team of prosecutors is assigned to the Progressive Criminal Justice Plan, referred to as the "rocket docket," for speedy resolution of certain criminal matters.
Another notable "rocket docket" court involves Lee County, Florida
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
(Fort Myers
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
), home of numerous foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
proceedings due to the collapse of the Florida housing market, where on some days the court hears up to 1,000 cases per day (assuming an 8-hour day, this equates to less than 30 seconds per case) and the entire case consists of two questions: 1) Is the homeowner behind on mortgage payments? 2) Is the homeowner still in the house? Whereupon the judge allows the homeowner 60 days to work out a matter with the bank or lose the house.