FJC Director Judge Robin Rosenberg confirms no hard copies distributed with climate chapter; National Academies to note omission in its version
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey announced that Federal Judicial Center Director Judge Robin L. Rosenberg has responded to the multistate coalition's letter, confirming that the climate science chapter has been fully omitted from all versions of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, Fourth Edition distributed by the Center — including any future hard copies.
In her February 24 letter, Judge Rosenberg confirmed that no hard copies of the manual have been distributed by the Federal Judicial Center and that all future hard copies will likewise omit the climate science chapter. Judge Rosenberg also confirmed that the Center has discussed the omission with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), which will include a note in its web and print versions indicating that the FJC has omitted the chapter from its edition.
Attorney General McCuskey led a coalition of 25 state attorneys general in a February 17 letter to Judge Rosenberg raising concerns about the climate science chapter and requesting clarity on the distribution and review process. The coalition argued that the chapter's inclusion risked undermining judicial impartiality in active litigation.
Read the FJC's response letter here. Read the coalition's letter here and the previous press releases here and here.
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