Federal Court Vacancy Warning System
From Judgepedia
The abundance of federal courts with vacant seats continues to grow as national news outlets begin to note the problem. In an effort to conveniently track the number of vacancies and highlight troubled districts and courts, Judgepedia has developed the Federal Court Vacancy Tracker, a program which will track current vacancies, current pending appointments and major news concerning the appointment and retirement of federal judges.
Federal Courts, Empty Benches
The latest issue of Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count:
Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/16/2012
- For a District by District break down, see: Federal Court Vacancy Warning System
| Key: | |
| (Numbers indicate % of seats vacant.) | |
| 0% | 0%-10% |
| 10%-25% | 25%-40% |
| More than 40% | |
| Supreme Court | 0% or no vacancies |
| Appeals Courts | 7.8% or 14 vacancies |
| District Courts | 8.4% or 57 vacancies |
There are currently 9 Supreme Court posts, 179 appellate court posts and 680 district court posts for a total of 868 Article III judges. This count includes four temporary posts, one each in the Northern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Southern District of Florida and the Central District of California. This also includes a shared post between the two Missouri districts and counts it as two posts with separate vacancies.
Judicial appointment news
Major news concerning Federal Appointments from the Judicial Update:
Jacqueline Nguyen confirmed to Ninth Circuit May 08, 2012
Ninth Circuit: Yesterday, the U.S. Senate helped make history when it confirmed Jacqueline Nguyen to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Nguyen is the first Asian-American woman to serve on any federal appellate court. [1]
Since 2009, Judge Nguyen has served on the United States District Court for the Central District of California. She was appointed to both federal courts by President Barack Obama. [2]
Out of 100 Senators, Judge Nguyen received 91 yeas during the vote yesterday. Only three Senators were nays, while six did not participate. Republican Senators Mike Lee from Utah, Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania and David Vitter from Louisiana voted against the confirmation. [3] (To learn more about Senator Lee's opposition to all of President Obama's nominees, read: Will Sen. Lee vote against a nominee he supports? from March 14, 2012.)
The confirmation of Nguyen will fill one of four vacancies on the Ninth Circuit. The court hears appeals from United States District Court in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. [4]
DeMint opposing SC nominee for federal bench Mar 16, 2012
South Carolina: Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) has declared that he will not vote to confirm a federal court nominee from his home state as part of a protest against President Obama's controversial appointments made over the winter recess. The move is an unusual one for a home state senator. DeMint previously voted to confirm two of Obama's judicial choices from South Carolina.
Mary Geiger Lewis, the current nominee, is an attorney in Columbia and has been nominated to the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. She would fill the seat vacated by Henry Floyd [1] and was nominated one year ago. [2] She received an 11-6 vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee. The vote was along party lines, with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) joining the Democrats to vote in her favor. [3]
Will Sen. Lee vote against a nominee he supports? Mar 14, 2012
Utah: Utah's freshman senator, Mike Lee, is sticking to his plan to oppose all of President Obama's federal court nominees, even one Lee supported in his home state. Add to that the plan of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to force votes on seventeen languishing judicial nominees and Lee has much to be peeved about these days. On the president's recess appointment, he said, "Because of the issues I’ve got with the president’s unconstitutional abuse of the recess-appointment power, I’ve acknowledged that I’ll be voting differently." [1]
The vote Lee refers to is that on the nomination of David Nuffer, who is currently a magistrate for the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Nuffer was appointed to that court as a judge by the President in June 2011 and has not yet been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Lee now finds himself in the position of publicly supporting a candidate, but possibility voting against the candidate's nomination on principle. [1]
Senate Democrats are upset about these federal vacancies, dubbed "judicial emergencies" by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Senator Reid said, "There are judges on this list that go back to November of last year. Not because we couldn't have done it. These could be confirmed in a matter of minutes. The votes should be routine. They shouldn't be a fight that delays action on important jobs measures." [2] Democrats see Senator Lee as a perfect example of "Republican obstructionism." [2]
See also: Utah Senator votes against all of Obama judicial nominees from February 28, 2012.
Retirement and Senior Status news
Major news concerning Federal Retirements from the Judicial Update:
Three Senior Federal Judges pass away in past week May 11, 2012
This past week, the Federal Judiciary lost three former judges who had either gone on to senior status or resigned from the courts. On May 5, Judge James R. Browning passed away at the age of 93 after spending more than half of his life serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Two days later, Judge Robert Coyle passed away after serving the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. On Tuesday, May 8, the courts also lost Judge Louis Pollak after a long career on the bench for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Federal District Court judge Jennifer Coffman to retire Mar 11, 2012
Kentucky: Federal District Court judge Jennifer Coffman has announced her intention to retire.[1] Judge Coffman currently serves as an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, while also serving as the Chief Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. She was appointed to both courts in 1993. At the time of her appointment, she became the first female federal judge in Kentucky.[1] In 2007, when she was appointed chief judge, she became the first female federal chief judge in Kentucky.[1] Coffman is also a member of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court; she will step down from this responsibility next January as well.
She will hand over the position of Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Kentucky to Karen Caldwell this coming October.[1]
Wesley Brown, oldest acting federal judge, passes away at 104 Jan 24, 2012
Kansas: On Monday, January 23 Federal Judge Wesley Brown passed away at the age of 104. Brown was originally appointed by John F. Kennedy and confirmed on April 4, 1962.[1] He assumed senior status on September 1, 1979 and served until his death. Wesley Brown was recognized by the Guinness world record organization in 2011 as the oldest serving judge at 104 years old. At that time he was the oldest serving U.S. Federal judge by 6 years.[2] He heard daily civil cases up until a month before his death using a wheelchair and oxygen.[3] Brown is a graduate of the University of Kansas with his Bachelor of Laws Degree in 1933 and the University of Missouri Kansas City Law for his LL.B..[4]
- ↑ KAKE, "Federal Judge Wesley Brown Dies At 104", 1/24/2012
- ↑ World Records Academy, "Youngest judge: 17-Year-Old Judge sets world record" 11/1/2011
- ↑ ABA Journal, "Wesley Brown, a Kennedy Appointee and Oldest-Sitting Federal Judge, Has Died at 104" 1/24/2012
- ↑ Judge Brown Biography from the Federal Judicial Center.
