Barack Obama judicial appointment controversies

As of July 30, 2015, President Barack Obama has nominated over three hundred individuals for federal judgeships. Of these nominations, Congress confirmed three hundred and seven judgeships, 173 during the 111th & 112th Congresses[1] and 134 during the 113th Congress.[2] Of the outstanding 44 Court Vacancies, 12 Nominees were pending Congressional review and 32 were awaiting Presidential nomination.[3] Ten percent of federal judgeships are currently vacant.[4]

Through President Obama's presidency numerous filibusters have been brought to a cloture vote. Three cloture votes were successful in breaking the filibusters, while the cloture votes on the nominations of Goodwin Liu, Caitlin Halligan and Robert E. Bacharach failed. Many nominations expired with the adjournment of the 111th Congress, but all were renominated in the 112th Congress with the exception of Robert Chatigny. Senator Grassley commented more nominees could have been confirmed had President Obama respected recess appointment precedent by not making recess appointments while the Senate is in session.[5] Although President Obama has never used a recess appointment to appoint a nominee to the federal bench, he had appointed some executive agency officials in January 2012.

As a response to the continuing blocking of several of President Obama's nominees, Sen. Harry Reid on November 21, 2013 invoked the so-called Nuclear option and changed the Senate rules, meaning a simple majority vote will suffice for all nominees except for the Supreme Court.[6]

List of failed, stalled or filibustered appellate nominees

Failed nominees

Successfully appointed nominees

List of failed, stalled or filibustered district court nominees

Failed nominees

Successfully appointed nominees

Effects of vacancies

A 2016 study found the current rate of federal judge vacancies (10 percent) has led prosecutors dismiss more cases, and defendants to be more likely to plead guilty and less likely to be incarcerated.[4] The authors find that "the current rate of vacancies has resulted in 1,000 fewer prison inmates annually compared to a fully-staffed court system, a 1.5 percent decrease."[4]

See also

References

  1. http://www.uscourts.gov/JudgesAndJudgeships/Viewer.aspx?doc=/uscourts/JudgesJudgeships/docs/appointments-by-president.pdf
  2. "Confirmation Listing". United States Courts. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  3. "Judicial Vacancies". United States Courts.
  4. 1 2 3 Yang, Crystal S. (2016-11-01). "Resource Constraints and the Criminal Justice System: Evidence from Judicial Vacancies". American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. 8 (4): 289–332. doi:10.1257/pol.20150150. ISSN 1945-7731.
  5. Larry Margasak, Senate confirms Cuban-born judge to 11th Circuit (February 15, 2012).
  6. 1 2 3 Senate Democrats invoke 'nuclear option', changes filibuster rules
  7. 1 2 Ingram, David (January 5, 2011). "Obama Suffers First Defeat on Judge Picks". The Blog of Legal Times. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  8. 1 2 The White House: Office of the Press Secretary (February 24, 2010). "President Obama Nominates Goodwin Liu for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Judge Robert N. Chatigny for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  9. Mahony, Edmund H. (January 5, 2011). "Judge Robert Chatigny Drops Off Obama's List Of Nominees For 2nd Circuit Court Of Appeals". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  10. Mahony, Edmund H. (August 6, 2010). "U.S. Senate Republicans Derail Judge Chatigny's Appeals Court Nomination". Capitol Watch Blog - The Hartford Courant. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  11. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00209
  12. 1 2 3 Bob Egelko, Republicans block Bay Area judicial nominees, San Francisco Chronicle (August 7, 2010).
  13. 1 2 An Exceptional Nominee, The New York Times (March 27, 2010).
  14. Letter to President Obama, University of California (May 25, 2011).
  15. Egelko, Bob (July 27, 2011). "Brown nominates Goodwin Liu for state high court". San Francisco Chronicle.
  16. Thompson, Don (September 1, 2011). "Brown swears in new Calif. Supreme Court justice". The Sacramento Bee. Associated Press. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  17. http://blogs.findlaw.com/ninth_circuit/2011/09/obama-nominates-jacqueline-nguyen-to-ninth-circuit.html
  18. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00088
  19. Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal sent to the Senate, White House press release (April 14, 2010).
  20. Geidner, Chris (August 1, 2011). "Judicial Symbolism". Metro Weekly. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  21. Geidner, Chris (April 16, 2010). "Breaking Barriers: Edward DuMont, praised by colleagues as "brilliant," would be the first openly gay federal appellate judge in the country". Metro Weekly. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  22. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/sign_me_in.jsp?article=http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202531041506&rss=newswire&slreturn=1
  23. Gilbert, Craig (July 18, 2011). "Ron Johnson "filibuster" of Nourse nomination to federal bench draws fire". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  24. Holman, Rhonda (July 29, 2011). "Steve Six deserved better". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
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  26. Sonmez, Felicia (December 6, 2011). "Senate Republican filibuster blocks Obama D.C. Circuit nominee Caitlin Halligan". Washington Post. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
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  28. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/06/11/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-us-court-appeals-district-columbia-c
  29. Senate Record for August 2, 2012
  30. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/09/19/presidential-nominations-sent-senate-0
  31. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/03/22/presidential-withdrawal-sent-senate
  32. 1 2 Republicans block another nominee to the D.C. Circuit
  33. 1 2 Republicans Charge Obama With Court-Packing For Trying To Fill Empty Seats
  34. "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress - 1st Session". Secretary of the Senate.
  35. "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress - 2nd Session". Secretary of the Senate.
  36. 1 2 Zernike, Kate (January 5, 2012). "Senator Menendez Stalls Obama Move to Promote Judge Patty Shwartz". The New York Times.
  37. Zernike, Kate (January 13, 2012). "Senator Menendez Says He Will Back Obama Judge Pick". The New York Times.
  38. Senate Judiciary Committee
  39. Renomination announcement
  40. President Obama Nominates Justice Barbara Milano Keenan for United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, whitehouse.gov (September 14, 2009).
  41. U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 2nd Session, Vote Number 29: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Barbara Milano Keenan, senate.gov (March 2, 2010).
  42. U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 2nd Session, Vote Number 30: Confirmation Barbara Milano Keenan, senate.gov (March 2, 2010).
  43. 1 2 Frank Green and Jeff E. Schapiro, Keenan confirmed for 4th Circuit judgeship, Richmond Times-Dispatch (March 3, 2010).
  44. President Obama Announces David Hamilton for the United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals whitehouse.gov (March 17, 2009).
  45. U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session, Vote Number 349: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of David F. Hamilton, senate.gov (November 17, 2009).
  46. 1 2 U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session, Vote Number 350: Confirmation David F. Hamilton, senate.gov (November 19, 2009).
  47. Kate Phillips, Senate Confirms Judge to Appeals Court, The Caucus Blog - New York Times (November 19, 2009).
  48. Foon Rhee, President picks moderate as first judicial nominee, The Boston Globe (March 17, 2009).
  49. Warren Richey, Senate OK's David Hamilton to be US appeals court judge, The Christian Science Monitor (November 19, 2009).
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  60. http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story/monroe-county-rocheser-mike-green-judgeship-denied/OkCbxgqgQ0qpZnKcqip9kw.cspx
  61. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20111219/NEWS01/111219012/DA-Mike-Green-blames-politics-scuttling-nomination?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home
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  65. 1 2 3 Ingram, David (February 3, 2011). "Obama Bucks Home-State Senators on Judicial Nominee". The Blog of Legal Times. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  66. 1 2 Marrero, Diana; Marley, Patrick (October 2, 2009). "Butler nomination for U.S. district judge draws heat". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  67. http://www.mainjustice.com/2011/10/13/three-u-s-judgeships-in-georgia-seem-likely-to-remain-vacant/
  68. 1 2 Bendery, Jennifer (February 26, 2014). "House Democrat Unleashes On Obama Judicial Nominees, White House Pushes Back Hard". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  69. Sullivan, Peter "Obama drops nominee opposed by CBC" The Hill, December 31, 2014
  70. Nomination announcement from whitehouse.gov
  71. Nevada Appeal
  72. Withdrawal announcement from whitehouse.gov
  73. "President Obama Nominates Seven to the United States District Courts". WhiteHouse.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  74. Turner, Jim (November 14, 2012). "Obama Taps William L. Thomas for Federal Bench in South Florida". Sunshine State News. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  75. "Openly Gay Miami-Dade Judge Nominated As Federal Judge". CBS Miami. November 14, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  76. Weaver, Jay; Rothaus, Steve (November 14, 2012). "Openly gay Miami-Dade Circuit Judge William L. Thomas nominated as federal judge". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  77. Alex Leary, Times Washington Bureau Chief View all Articles (2013-09-19). "Rubio releases hold on African-American judicial candidate but continues to block another | Tampa Bay Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  78. White House Gives Up On William Thomas, Gay Black Judicial Nominee Blocked By Marco Rubio
  79. President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the United States District Court, White House, June 26, 2013
  80. Doyle, Michael (September 25, 2013). "New questions raised about South Carolina federal court nominee". The State.
  81. Watkins, Ali (July 17, 2014). "US Sen. Tim Scott joins opposition to nomination of SC judge for federal post". The State.
  82. Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate, White House, September 18, 2014
  83. Middle District Judge nominee still awaiting confirmation
  84. 1 2 Mulligan, John E. (March 10, 2010). "Obama nominates McConnell to federal district court". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  85. Stout, David (May 5, 2011). "R.I. Lawyer Finally Wins U.S. Judgeship Over GOP Opposition". Main Justice. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  86. Ingram, David (May 4, 2011). "Trial Lawyer Judicial Nominee Overcomes Threatened Filibuster". The Blog of Legal Times. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  87. Mulligan, John E. (September 13, 2010). "R.I. attorney John McConnell renominated to federal judgeship". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  88. Bob Egelko, Obama will renominate Edward Chen to be judge, San Francisco Chronicle (January 9, 2010).
  89. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  90. http://azstarnet.com/news/local/josh-brodesky-kyl-stonewalls-judge-in-waiting/article_e968a5fb-a40b-56d3-b925-f347b351a1b9.html
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