9th Circuit: Hawaii trip needed to foster 'personal interaction' among judges

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is defending a planned conference in Hawaii this August as a way to provide for "personal interaction" and a "constructive and civil open exchange of ideas" among 9th Circuit judges, despite complaints from Senate Republicans that the million-dollar conference is a waste of taxpayer money.

Alex Kozinski, the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, defended the planned trip in a letter dated June 15 to Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). Sessions and Grassley wrote to the 9th Circuit last month to demand an explanation for the event.

"Our Conferences are renowned for the quality and depth of their educational programs," Kozinski wrote. "In short, the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference provides an exceptional educational program and facilitates circuit governance through numerous business meetings."

The 9th Circuit last month was already defending the conference as an activity that is authorized under U.S. law to help better administer justice. In response to how a conference at a Hawaiian resort would better achieve that goal than a teleconference or a less costly meeting,