The Enlightenment

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Welcome to The Judiciary at Noon. After a long hiatus, I have returned to give 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. This post covers the last three months.

Confirmations

• Jul. 14, 2025: Whitney Downs Hermandorfer was confirmed as a Judge of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 46–42.
• Jul. 22, 2025: Joshua Michael Divine was confirmed as a Judge of the Western and Eastern Districts of Missouri by a vote of 51–46.
• Jul. 22, 2025: Cristian Matthew Stevens was confirmed as a Judge of the Eastern District of Missouri by a vote of 50–47.
• Jul. 23, 2025: Zachary Maxwell Bluestone was confirmed as a Judge of the Eastern District of Missouri by a vote of 49–47.
• Jul. 29, 2025: Emil Joseph Bove III was confirmed as a Judge of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 50–49.

With the confirmation of Judge Divine the Eastern District of Missouri has formed an en banc Republican majority. With the confirmation of Judge Bove the Third Circuit has formed an en banc Republican majority.

Vacancies

Federal Judiciary

• May 31, 2025: Judge Nathaniel Matheson Gorton of the District of Massachusetts assumed senior status, opening up a vacancy on the court.
• Jun. 30, 2025: Judge Susan Pamela Watters of the District of Montana announced she would be taking senior status on June 8, 2026, opening up a vacancy on the court.
• Jul. 7, 2025: Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden of the U.S. Court of International Trade resigned to assume his position as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, opening up a vacancy on the court.
• Jul. 14, 2025: Judge Kathy Jane Branstetter Stranch assumed senior status, opening up a vacancy that was filled by her successor, Judge Hermandorfer.
• Jul. 27, 2025: Chief Judge Sean Francis Cox of the Eastern District of Michigan resigned, opening up a vacancy on the court.
• Jul. 31, 2025: Judge Frank Dennis Saylor IV of the District of Massachusetts assumed senior status, opening up a vacancy on the court.
• Aug. 11, 2025: Judge Daniel Dale Crabtree of the District of Kansas assumed senior status, opening up a vacancy on the court.
• Aug. 20, 2025: Judge David Charles Godbey of the Northern District of Texas announced he would be assuming senior status on September 17, 2025, opening up a vacancy on the court.
• Aug. 26, 2025: Judge Mitchell Steven Goldberg of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced that he would be retiring on September 19, 2025.

With Judges Gorton and Saylor taking senior status, there are no more active Republican judges in the District of Massachusetts.

District of Columbia Judiciary

• Jun. 27, 2025: Judge Heidi M. Pasichow of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia retired, opening up a vacancy on the court.

60 vacancies remain on the federal judiciary, a decrease from 61 three months ago.

Retirements, Deaths, and Resignations

• May 30, 2025: Senior Judge Kim Richard Gibson of the Western District of Pennsylvania died at the age of 77. He had been a Bush appointee.
• Jun. 1, 2025: Senior Judge Dean Douglas Pregerson of the Central District of California retired at the age of 74.
• Jul. 7, 2025: Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden of the U.S. Court of International Trade resigned.
• Jul. 14, 2025: Senior Judge William Henry Stafford Jr. of the Northern District of Florida died at the age of 94. He had been a Ford appointee.
• Jul. 27, 2025: Chief Judge Sean Francis Cox of the Eastern District of Michigan resigned.
• Jul. 30, 2025: Senior Judge Thomas Selby Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia died at the age of 85. He had been a Reagan appointee.
• Aug. 1, 2025: Senior Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn of the Northern District of Texas retired at the age of 72.

Other

Judges seated

• Jul. 17, 2025: Whitney Hermandorfer received her judicial commission.
• Jul. 23, 2025: Cristian Stevens received his judicial commission.
• Jul. 24, 2025: Zach Bluestone received his judicial commission.
• Jul. 24, 2025: Josh Divine received his judicial commission.
• Aug. 20, 2025: Emil Bove III received his judicial commission.

Chief Judges

• Jun. 1, 2025: Judge Kelly Harrison Rankin, a Biden appointee, became the Chief Judge of the District of Wyoming. He is succeeding Judge Scott Wesley Skavdahl, an Obama appointee, as Chief Judge.
• Jun. 23, 2025: Judge Allen Cothrel Winsor, a Trump appointee, became the Chief Judge of the Northern District of Florida. He is succeeding Judge Mark Eaton Walker, an Obama appointee, as Chief Judge.
• Jul. 1, 2025: Judge Denise Jefferson Casper, an Obama appointee, became the Chief Judge of the District of Massachusetts. She is succeeding Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, a Bush appointee, as Chief Judge.
• Jul. 11, 2025: Judge James Russell Sweeney II, a Trump appointee, became the Chief Judge of the Southern District of Indiana. He is succeeding Judge Tanya Marie Walton Pratt, an Obama appointee, as Chief Judge.
• Jul. 28, 2025: Judge Stephen Joseph Murphy III, a Bush appointee, became the Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Michigan. He is succeeding Judge Sean Cox, a Bush appointee, as Chief Judge.
• Aug. 2, 2025: Judge Wendy Beetlestone, an Obama appointee, became the Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She is succeeding Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg, a Bush appointee, as Chief Judge.
• Aug. 18, 2025: Judge Reed Charles O’Connor, a Bush appointee, became the Chief Judge of the Northern District of Texas. He is succeeding Judge David C. Godbey, a Bush appointee, as Chief Judge.

Nominations

• Jun. 16, 2025: Trump nominated Emil Bove III to serve as a Circuit Judge of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and nominated five judges to serve as District Judges in the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.
• Jun. 23, 2025: Trump nominated Chad Meredith to serve as a Judge of the Eastern District of Kentucky.
• Jul. 15, 2025: Trump nominated two Circuit Judges, one each to the Ninth and First Circuits, and William Mercer to be a Judge of the District of Montana.
• Jul. 16, 2025: Trump nominated Jennifer Mascott to be a Judge of the Third Circuit.
• Aug. 12, 2025: Trump nominated five judges to serve on the Northern Districts of Alabama and Mississippi and the Middle District of Alabama.
• Aug. 14, 2025: Trump nominated Rebecca Taibleson to be a Judge of the Sixth Circuit.
• Aug. 22, 2025: Trump nominated four judges to serve on the Western and Middle Districts of North Carolina.

Analysis

The Judiciary at Noon is not over!

I am too tired to write a lengthy analysis. Suffice to say, lawsuits challenging the Trump regime continue to be filed across the country. I haven’t been following the judicial news very closely, so I can’t speak much to the specificities of cases. Cases over immigration continue to arise. We will likely see a Supreme Court case over the Texas/California redistricting standoff.

After a three-month hiatus, I’ve decided to return. I believe the information I’ve included here will be most useful to court watchers. At the same time, I don’t know if I can continue writing at a weekly pace. Unfortunately, I am far too busy, and must devote my attention elsewhere as I complete my university studies and begin my career. Likely, The Judiciary at Noon will become a monthly, rather than weekly series.

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this entry. Although the wait has been long, I haven’t forgotten about my readers, and judicial history continues to be a topic of interest for me. The blog shall prevail!

SIGN-OFF

That’s it for this week’s The Judiciary at Noon. This has been Anthony Myrlados.