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Chicago Area Court Is No. 1 In Bankruptcy Filings

(CBS) -- The Chicago area is now tops in the nation -- in bankruptcy filings.

The Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois now leads the nation with the most filings of any bankruptcy court in the country.

WBBM's Terry Keshner reports.

The court says it had 47,535 case filings in the 12-month period ending March 31, overtaking the Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, which had about 45,000 bankruptcies.

In April, the government said bankruptcy filings fell about 8.5 percent nationwide, but in the Chicago area, the drop-off was only about six and-a-half percent.

Also, the Chicago area only has 11 federal bankruptcy judges, while the Central District of California has 24.

"The Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Illinois is one of the hardest-working Bankruptcy Courts in the country. We commend their efficiency as they now handle the most case filings in the country with just eleven judges," Rubén Castillo, chief judge for the Northern District of Illinois, said in a news release issued Monday.

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