Law signed creating one federal district court for Fort Bragg

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WWAY) — President Joe Biden has signed into law  a bill that consolidates Fort Bragg into one federal judicial district in Fayetteville, a news release from Senator Thom Tillis’ office states.

Tillis and Senator Richard Burr introduced the bill along with Rep. Richard Hudson, whose congressional district includes Fort Bragg, and Rep. Deborah Ross.

The bill had a number of co-sponsors, including Reps. David Rouzer and Dan Bishop.

Fort Bragg spans across six North Carolina counties: Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Scotland, and Richmond. Cumberland and Harnett are located in the Eastern District, while the other four counties are in the Middle District.

Depending on where on Fort Bragg an infraction occurred, an individual would have previously been required to appear in court 20 minutes away or up to 2 hours away.

“The current judicial district boundaries split the base into two districts, resulting in some defendants being required to travel to Durham, Greensboro, or Winston-Salem to appear in court,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation is a commonsense fix that will ensure all of Fort Bragg is included in the Eastern District to improve court operations and reduce hardship for defendants.”

“By consolidating Fort Bragg’s judicial district into one we will alleviate some of the confusion for service members and their families located at Fort Bragg,” said Senator Burr. “I applaud the bipartisan work to get this commonsense initiative across the finish line.”