Trump Poised to Set Record for Appeals Court Judges

rollcall.com ^ | 12/12/17 | Todd Ruger

[cotton1706]

Senate Republicans are set to confirm three more of President Donald Trump’s appeals court picks this week, a push that will help set a record for the most such appointments in a president’s first year in office.

The Senate is expected to confirm Steve Grasz for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, and James Ho and Don Willett for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, over the objections of Democrats who question whether they can be unbiased.

That would mean at least a dozen Trump appointees would join the nation’s appeals courts — which have the last word in all but the 100 or so cases that the Supreme Court decides each year — in his first year in the White House. That comes in a year the Senate also confirmed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch in April.

Compare that to Barack Obama, who successfully appointed three appeals court judges in his first year in office in 2009, as well as Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Obama followed up with 13 appeals court appointments in his second year in 2010. Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy successfully appointed 11 appeals court judges in their first year in the White House.

“Each of these nominees will make strong additions to the federal bench and I look forward to considering them in the coming days,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Monday.

There are currently 17 vacancies on the nation’s 13 appeals courts, with seven nominees pending, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
FReepers, it's far beyond time to wrap up this FReep-a-thon.  Lets do it today.  Please chip in.

President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America
President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations on 09/19/2017.

Ramirez political cartoon:  the Roy Moore Compass LARGE VERSION 12/11/2017: LINK  LINK to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).
Garrison political cartoon:  Moore or Less LARGE VERSION 12/11/2017: LINK  LINK (scroll down) to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).

Please join the monthlies, an automated and the best way to help support Free Republic.  If you opt not to join the automated monthly support program, please consider joining the One One Done project.  LINK

Click above and pencil in your donation now.Please folks, lets end this FReepathon.  Thank you!
...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

[rrrod]

MY PREZ!!!!!

[DoughtyOne]

Eat your heart out Obambi.

By this time next year, folks will be asking which third world nation you lead.

This place won’t look anything like how you left it.

[floridavoter2]

He’ll have appointed 12 so far this year. How many appeal court judges are there in all across the U.S.? (Hoping he can replace lots of them)

[DoughtyOne]

Feeling good Luis...

Trading places

[shelterguy]

Yes, Trading Places, starring Al Franken as Baggage Handler #2.

[DoughtyOne]

LOL...

I’d forgotten about that.

[zeestephen]

I hope that's good news.

Supreme Court appointee Gorsuch has lived up to Conservative expectations so far.

But, sometimes it takes years before Republican federal judges reveal themselves to be center-left betrayers.

[cotton1706]

There are 179 appeals (circuit) court judges.

There are currently 23 appeals court vacancies.

So if Trump fills all of those he will have populated 13% of those judgeships.

And judges retire or move to senior status every year.

[cotton1706]

With the Federalist society helping to choose the nominees, instead of moderate-liberal senators or the ABA, we will see less Souters in Trump’s appointees.

But the danger is always there.

[be-baw]

“And judges retire or move to senior status every year.”

True, but I suspect most Clinton/Obama nominees will be persuaded to hang on for as long as Trump is POTUS.

[Engedi]

Wish the 9th District could all be replaced.

[DaveA37]

Too bad Trump couldn’t eliminate the 9th District judges, that would certainly go a long way to making America Great Again.

[SamAdams76]

Trading Places...very good movie from around the 1983 period. Dan Ackroyd played the perfect Winthorpe. I think I will see that movie again. I also bet you one dollar that in three years, Trump will make it seem like Obama was never president.

[Kaisersrsic]

You forgot about the nine already confirmed! As of yesterday, the numbers were as follows for the Courts of Appeal:

Confirmed: 9
Vacant: 17
Future Vacancies: 6

If the 23 Vacant and Future Vacancies are filled, Trump will have filled 18% of the authorized Court of Appeals.

[House Atreides]

Let’s not let this LULL US INTO INACTION. There are MANY DISTRICT JUDGES awaiting Senate confirmation votes. Mitch McConnell needs to FORCE more action on this backlog of Judge nominations instead of dragging his feet.

[aces]

wonderous thing

[Titus-Maximus]

This is the victory that is below the radar that will immensely keep this nation great.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Better pack ‘em in now before the rat takes over the Alabama senate seat.