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Trump Continues to Reshape Ninth Circuit With Two New Picks
Courthouse News Service ^ | 20 September 2019 | TIM RYAN

Posted on 09/20/2019 10:24:02 AM PDT by Steely Tom

WASHINGTON (CN) – President Donald Trump announced six new judicial nominees on Friday, including two to seats on the once reliably liberal Ninth Circuit and four to federal courts in California.

One of the nominees to the Ninth Circuit will be familiar to senators, as Trump has now three times chosen Patrick Bumatay for a federal judgeship. Trump first chose Bumatay, a prosecutor in the Southern District of California, for a seat on the Ninth Circuit in 2018, but the Senate never took action on the nomination.

Trump tapped him for a judgeship again earlier this year, this time for a position on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Bumatay, who is openly gay, currently leads the appellate and narcotics sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, and worked as counselor to the attorney general in 2018, advising on opioid strategy and other issues.

California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, both Democrats who sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, raised concerns about Bumatay’s lack of judicial experience during his first pass at the Ninth Circuit position. Neither senator immediately commented Friday on his renomination.

A member of the conservative Federalist Society, Bumatay drew praise from conservatives after Trump announced he will again put him forward to sit on the Ninth Circuit.

“Patrick Bumatay will make a terrific judge on the Ninth Circuit,” former Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “He has dedicated his career to upholding the rule of law. Patrick’s many fine qualities, including his integrity, intellect and collegiality, make him exceedingly worthy of this position.”

Alongside Bumatay, Trump chose former Nevada Solicitor General Lawrence VanDyke to fill a Ninth Circuit vacancy. VanDyke serves as deputy assistant attorney general at the environment and natural resources division of the Justice Department.

While the tope appellate lawyer in Nevada, VanDyke fought the Obama administration’s Waters of the United States regulation, which the Trump administration repealed last week. He also signed onto briefs challenging Obama immigration and employment law regulations, litigation that will likely draw scrutiny from Democrats.

Another Federalist Society member, VanDyke also worked as assistant solicitor general of Texas and as the solicitor general of Montana. He previously spent time as an associate at the firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Nevada Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, both Democrats, criticized the nominations and accused the White House of ignoring “the broad, consensus-based opinion of Nevadans.”

“Instead, the White House has chosen to move forward on their extreme judicial agenda,” Rosen and Cortez Masto said in a joint statement. “While we will review the full record of this nominee, we are disappointed that the White House has chosen to nominate a candidate with a concerning record of ideological legal work.”

The remaining nominees Trump announced Friday are up for seats on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Michelle Pettit, one of the Southern District of California nominees, has worked as a federal prosecutor in the district since 2007 and before that was senior trial counsel for the U.S. Navy in San Diego.

Her fellow nominee, Knut Johnson, is in private practice in San Diego, where he focuses on criminal defense, including white collar crime and regulatory offenses.

Steve Kim, up for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, is currently a magistrate judge on the same court, having taken the position after working as managing director at the firm Stroz Friedberg, where he worked on cybersecurity compliance and data privacy issues. Kim has also served as a federal prosecutor.

John Holcomb, nominated to a seat on the same court, focuses on intellectual property and bankruptcy litigation at the Costa Mesa, Calif., firm Greenberg Gross. A former officer in the Navy, Holcomb previously ran his own private practice and worked as a partner at the Riverside and Irvine, Calif., firm Knobbe Martens.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: 2020election; 9thcircuit; california; circuit; court; election2020; federalistsociety; genderdysphoria; homosexualagenda; indiana; judges; judiciary; lawrencevandyke; mikepence; ninth; ninthcircuit; ninthcircuitcourt; openlygaybumatay; patrickbumatay; petebuttigieg; queerjudge; southbend; trump; trumpjudiciary
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To: Alas Babylon!

Well, look at it this way: he can’t exactly be blackmailed about his gayness, its already in the open. He’s at least displayed his honesty, and his lack of fear of bad PR. That much you have to say about this guy, even if you don’t know anything about his judicial philosophy.


41 posted on 09/20/2019 2:09:47 PM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt, The Weapons Shops of Isher)
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To: Steely Tom
Bumatay, who is openly gay

Great. Just what we need: another mentally deranged judge. I thought we were trying to FIX the Ninth Circus.

42 posted on 09/20/2019 2:13:46 PM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Steely Tom
While the tope appellate lawyer in Nevada, VanDyke fought the Obama administration’s Waters of the United States regulation, which the Trump administration repealed last week. He also signed onto briefs challenging Obama immigration and employment law regulations,p> THAT'S more like it.
43 posted on 09/20/2019 2:14:46 PM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Steely Tom
Her fellow nominee, Knut Johnson, is in private practice in San Diego, where he focuses on criminal defense, including white collar crime and regulatory offenses.

Good. We need private attorneys as judges to balance out all the former bureaucrats and former prosecutors.

44 posted on 09/20/2019 2:16:12 PM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Steely Tom
When Trump gets all the codes Conservatism will launch, and California will never be the same


45 posted on 09/20/2019 2:32:48 PM PDT by montag813
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To: faithhopecharity

“...can’t run...” should read “choose not to run...”


46 posted on 09/20/2019 2:56:25 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp???)
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To: NorthMountain

Lawyers (and sometimes Judges) argue for whomever writes the checks, so I don’t usually find fault with lawyers who argue against my point of view, or vice versa. Judges on the other hand...

So far, Trump is nominating a lot of Judges from the Federalist Society, which is usually a positive indicator. But, there are still Never Trumpers and GOPe there, so not a guarantee, evidence George Conway...


47 posted on 09/20/2019 3:01:53 PM PDT by ETCM
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To: ETCM

I’d give his judicial picks, overall, a grade of A+. I don’t trust the fag, for example, and there have been a few others. The overwhelming majority seem to be just what we need.


48 posted on 09/20/2019 3:05:55 PM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: NorthMountain

Yeah, he’s doing great, and a second term of similar picks will really have a lasting, positive impact. These Judges might be a big part of Trump’s legacy.

As for Bumatay, I don’t care who a Judge sleeps with, as long as it doesn’t impact his rulings and he sticks to the constitution. Hopefully he turns out to be a solid pick.


49 posted on 09/20/2019 3:24:42 PM PDT by ETCM
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To: ETCM
"Hopefully"

Hope isn't a plan. He's definitely not the sort of person I'd want hearing a "Bake The Cake" appeal.

I'm looking forward to Trump nominating a replacement for Ruth Buzzard Ginsburg. It's going to be epic.

50 posted on 09/20/2019 3:27:20 PM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Steely Tom

Haven’t gotten to the surprise, yet.


51 posted on 09/20/2019 3:39:47 PM PDT by NetAddicted (Just looking)
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To: NorthMountain

I made a wild prediction earlier that Buzzy will announce her retirement in October 2020 to make SCOTUS a rallying issue for the far left. Then, she will make appearances at Elizabeth Warren’s campaign rallies for the final month, and dramatically drop dead on stage the week before the election.


52 posted on 09/20/2019 3:55:21 PM PDT by ETCM
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To: Ancesthntr

You are probably right.

And while I sound, as the Left would say, “homophobic”, I actually do not care if someone is gay.

Now, I don’t want to see explicit gay sex or any other kind, and consider the whole spectrum of sexual acts to be a private matter to be conducted in privacy.

Having said that, the problem I have with gays is political. Gays are militantly Leftist. At least most of them.

They are so Left-wing, democrat, liberal, use what ever word you wish, and their politics are anathema to me.

THAT is the real problem I have with gays, blacks and Hispanics in general. They’re mostly liberals or at least democrat voters. I don’t care beyond that.

As a conservative, I think I have the right to oppose Leftists, and not be called a racist or homophobe because of it.


53 posted on 09/20/2019 5:18:45 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (The media is after us. Trump's just in the way.)
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To: billyboy15
Ultimately we will get the government we deserve.

That's a depressing thought.

54 posted on 09/20/2019 5:48:10 PM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: Steely Tom
“Patrick Bumatay will make a terrific judge on the Ninth Circuit,” former Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “He has dedicated his career to upholding the rule of law. Patrick’s many fine qualities, including his integrity, intellect and collegiality, make him exceedingly worthy of this position.”
All qualities that the leftists hate.
55 posted on 09/20/2019 7:43:06 PM PDT by Syncro (Facts is Facts)
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To: Steely Tom

Now the Dems who oppose are homophobes...


56 posted on 09/21/2019 3:22:14 AM PDT by trebb (Don't howl about illegal leeches, or Trump in general, while not donating to FR - it's hypocritical.)
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To: Steely Tom
More winning!

A member of the conservative Federalist Society, Bumatay drew praise from conservatives after Trump announced he will again put him forward to sit on the Ninth Circuit.

“Patrick Bumatay will make a terrific judge on the Ninth Circuit,” former Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “He has dedicated his career to upholding the rule of law. Patrick’s many fine qualities, including his integrity, intellect and collegiality, make him exceedingly worthy of this position.”

Alongside Bumatay, Trump chose former Nevada Solicitor General Lawrence VanDyke to fill a Ninth Circuit vacancy. VanDyke serves as deputy assistant attorney general at the environment and natural resources division of the Justice Department.

While the tope appellate lawyer in Nevada, VanDyke fought the Obama administration’s Waters of the United States regulation, which the Trump administration repealed last week. He also signed onto briefs challenging Obama immigration and employment law regulations, litigation that will likely draw scrutiny from Democrats.

Another Federalist Society member, VanDyke also worked as assistant solicitor general of Texas and as the solicitor general of Montana.

57 posted on 09/21/2019 10:39:11 AM PDT by NobleFree ("law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual")
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To: Steely Tom

“He graduated from Harvard Law School in 2006, where he was articles editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy — a leading law journal for conservative and libertarian legal scholarship.” - https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/who-is-patrick-bumatay-2/


58 posted on 09/21/2019 10:43:09 AM PDT by NobleFree ("law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual")
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To: Steely Tom

Bumatay Is “gay.”

NEVER, ever trust a homo in a position of power.


59 posted on 09/21/2019 4:09:01 PM PDT by fwdude
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To: JohnBrowdie

Why? AOC would make a great federal district judge. She’s got the intellectual caliber and acumen that would be perfect for the EDNY./sarcroflmao


60 posted on 09/22/2019 8:53:37 AM PDT by Eleutheria5 (If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.)
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