With 9th Circuit In Spotlight, Republicans Push New Effort To Bust It Up

06:26

February 10, 2017

A man walks outside of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. President Donald Trump's travel ban faced its biggest legal test yet Tuesday as a panel of federal judges prepared to hear arguments from the administration and its opponents about two fundamentally divergent views of the executive branch and the court system. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

This article is more than 6 years old.

President Trump's criticism of the federal court that is ruling on his travel ban has brought new attention to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The San Francisco-based court has attracted a lot of criticism over the years. Republicans say it's too liberal, too big, and should be split up. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona has introduced a bill to do just that — his proposal would create a new 12th Circuit.

Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd speaks with Erin Scharff, a law professor and former clerk on the 9th Circuit.

This segment aired on February 10, 2017.

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