Trump names 10 nominees to
federal courts on heels of Gorsuch win, 5/8/17, Fox News
President Trump began his bid Monday to
reshape the makeup of the lower federal courts, with the White House announcing
10 judicial nominees it described as Trump's "third wave of Federal
judicial appointments."
Coming out of its first 100 days, the
administration aims to build on the successful confirmation of Justice Neil
Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the
nominees were all “chosen for their deep knowledge of the law and their
commitment to upholding constitutional principles.”
Two of the nominees originally were on
the list of 21 candidates that the Trump transition team considered for the
Supreme Court vacancy left by Antonin Scalia’s death, and ultimately filled by
Gorsuch. They are Justice Joan Larsen of the Michigan Supreme Court, nominated
to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati; and Justice David Stras of
the Minnesota Supreme Court, nominated to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in
St. Louis.
The other nominees are Amy Coney
Barrett, a Notre Dame law professor nominated to the 7th Circuit Court of
Appeals in Chicago; John Bush, a Louisville lawyer nominated to the 6th
Circuit; Kevin C. Newsom, a former Alabama Solicitor General nominated to the
11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta; Judge David C. Nye, nominated to the
U.S. District Court for Idaho; Scott L. Palk, a former federal prosecutor
nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma;
Damien Schiff, nominated to federal claims court; Dabney L. Friedrich,
nominated to U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; and Judge Terry
Moorer, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of
Alabama. Democrats already were speaking out against the nominations.
“With this first slate of lower court
nominees, it seems that the President is intent on continuing to outsource the
judicial selection process to hard right, special interest groups rather than
consulting with Senators on a bipartisan basis,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
Compared against his modern-day
predecessors, Trump is behind the curve in announcing nominees to lower-profile
positions below the Cabinet level.
But one area where these nominations can
have a huge impact is the federal courts. While Supreme Court vacancies capture
national attention, a president can leave a lasting legacy by getting
like-minded justices confirmed to U.S. district, circuit and other courts
across the country.
Former President Barack Obama made over
300 such appointments, as did George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. At the start of
his term, Trump already is looking at nearly 130 judicial vacancies on the
lower federal courts.
Following Monday’s announcement, the
White House reportedly plans to roll out additional nominees at regular
intervals.
White House Counsel Don McGahn previewed
the forthcoming nominations in a speech last Friday, saying Trump was putting
his “finishing touches” on his list and predicting people “would be amazed” by
the caliber of his nominees.
Such nominees give Trump a chance to
alter the balance on the courts, as several of his policies already are facing
legal challenges. He had previously clashed with the San Francisco-based 9th
Circuit, after it blocked his initial ‘travel ban.’ He later accused his
opponents of “judge shopping,” and told The Washington Examiner last month they
“immediately run to the 9th Circuit.”
Fox News’ Serafin
Gomez contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/08/trump-to-nominate-five-conservative-judges-to-federal-appeals-court.html
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