The Judiciary at Noon, #44: October 11 to October 17, 2024

Keep up-to-date on the US federal judiciary, October 11 to 17, 2024.

October 18, 2024

2–3 minutes

Image courtesy of Sora Shimazaki/Pexels

Welcome to The Judiciary at Noon! Take a break from work to get an update on the oft-neglected third branch of the United States government, the judicial branch.

The series covers any updates to the federal judiciary, including any new judges confirmed, any deaths, resignations, or retirements from the courts, and any new vacancies that have occurred. It includes political analysis at the very end. All information spans the previous week.

Confirmations

No judges were confirmed for the week spanning October 11 to 17, 2024.

Vacancies

Oct. 15, 2024: Judge Philip Steven Gutierrez of the Central District of California assumed senior status, opening up a vacancy on the court.

67 vacancies remain on the federal judiciary, a number unchanged from a week ago.

Retirements, Deaths, and Resignations

No judges retired, died, or resigned for the week spanning October 11 to 17, 2024.

Other

Judges Seated

Oct. 15, 2024: Shanlyn Alohakeao Souza Park received her commission to serve as a United States District Judge for the District of Hawaii.

Oct. 15, 2024: Rose Elena Jenkins received her commission to serve as a Judge of the United States Tax Court.

Analysis

Democratic court-watchers were waiting with anticipation if new nominees would be announced on Wednesday. Due to Senate norms and technicalities, Wednesday, October 16th is considered the last day to announce new nominees for the remaining five or so vacancies that can realistically be filled by Democrats before the next President’s term. Any later announcement would mean there would not be enough time to confirm all nominees.

Well, the announcement did not come. And it did not come on Thursday, either. Perhaps the announcement will come today, the day this article is released. But this impediment is sure to set Democrats back in confirming as many judges as possible before January 20, 2025.

One of the last vacancies is for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, for a seat located in Joe Biden’s very own backyard of Wilmington, Delaware, where he served as Senator for over 36 years. Surely Biden won’t miss a chance to appoint the next judge for such a position?

Still no commissions for a number of judges.

SIGN-OFF

That’s it for this week’s The Judiciary at Noon. This has been Anthony Myrlados. I’ll see you next noon and until then I wish you all an enjoyable weekend.

One response to “The Judiciary at Noon, #44: October 11 to October 17, 2024”

Anonymous

October 19, 2024 at 7:02 am

Although I also hoped for another batch – and still do – I’m also realist enough to realise, that it might not happen. As we all don’t know, how intern perception of the Democratic caucus and possible voting results for single candidates are – maybe they decided not to nominate another batch because there is not chance of getting them confirmed until the end of the year and they won’t let them come with their friends and familites to DC for nothing.

Just looking at the circuit court seats: There have been five of them waiting for confirmation at the next five working weeks, means each week one of them, the same number the Senate has confirmed this year so far – and probably a sixth one, in the case for a Third Circuit nominee in Delaware. I know there are lots of human calculators who explain how it could work, but that has nothing to do with the reality, as well as the statement, that now in the lame duck, everything’s becoming easier and obstructionists can be pressurized by keeping the Senate in session at Fridays, weekends and Thanksgiving. With the circuit court judges alone, lots of floor time is exhausted, and there is other legislative work to do, and other non-judicial nominees are also waiting, as well as district court and DC court judges.

If those intern Democratic caucus intentions to vote on different nominees would bring just a majortiy for just half of the roughly twenty nominees waiting for a floor vote, it would make sense to nominate another batch, but otherwise concentration on pushing those who are already there over the finish line is more logical.

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