Posted on 03/12/2025 8:19:54 AM PDT by nwrep
All of Maine’s federal judges recuse themselves from Rep. Laurel Libby’s lawsuit against House speaker
None of the judges gave any reasoning for the recusals and the Republican state lawmaker's case will now be considered by a judge in Rhode Island.
All of Maine’s active federal judges have recused themselves from a Republican state lawmaker’s lawsuit against the Speaker of the House.
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, and six of her constituents filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Bangor on Tuesday in response to Libby’s party-line censure by the Legislature last month.
Democrats argued Libby crossed a line by including photos of a transgender high school athlete as part of her criticism of Maine’s policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports.
Libby’s post included the student’s name and photographs. While Libby was criticized for naming the student, her lawsuit notes, “The Championship was a public event, was streamed online, and the names, schools and photographs of the winners were posted publicly.”
The post received national attention and prompted a heated exchange between Democratic Maine Gov. Jill Mills and President Donald Trump over transgender athletes. Mills told the president “See you in court” after he said he would deny federal funding to the state if it refused to comply with his executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.
After Libby’s post, the Democratic-controlled Maine House voted along party lines 75-70 to censure Libby, declaring her post “reprehensible” and “incompatible with her duty and responsibilities as a member of the House.” The censure required her to apologize, but she refused, so the House prohibited her from speaking or voting on the House floor for the rest of her term.
“It’s so obvious my censure is retaliation because they do not want to have a debate about the real issue, which is biological males participating in girls’ sports,” Libby said.
Libby, who represents 9,000 constituents, alleges that the censure violates her First Amendment rights as well as the Equal Protection, Due Process, and Guarantee Clauses of the US Constitution. She is asking the court for injunctive relief that would allow her to continue her duties.
Libby’s case is being referred to a federal judge from Rhode Island but will still be considered in Maine, according to an order from Chief Judge Lance Walker issued Wednesday morning.
“The recusal of all the judges on this court gives rise to an “emergency” with respect to the referred case as that term is used in 28 U.S.C. § 636(f),” Walker wrote, citing a broad federal law for recusals.
“This many recusals are quite unusual, but because none of the judges have specified the reason they are refusing, I am unable to provide any insight or comment on it,” Strawbridge wrote.
Maybe it’s Providence.
Maybe Canada wants Maine, eh.
Current judges
As of August 22, 2024:
# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
19 Chief Judge Lance E. Walker Bangor 1972 2018–present 2024–present — Trump
20 District Judge Stacey D. Neumann Portland 1978 2024–present — — Biden
17 Senior Judge* Nancy Torresen Portland 1959 2011–present 2015–2018 — Obama
13 Senior Judge D. Brock Hornby inactive 1944 1990–2010 1996–2003 2010–present G.H.W. Bush
15 Senior Judge George Z. Singal Portland 1945 2000–2013 2003–2009 2013–present Clinton
16 Senior Judge John A. Woodcock Jr. Portland 1950 2003–2017 2009–2015 2017–present G.W. Bush
18 Senior Judge Jon D. Levy inactive 1954 2014–2024 2019–2024 2024–present Obama
*Pending
Only two active judges in Maine. Looks like the Donald is going to have some opportunities to change the Maine Judiciary.
I was thinking that her husband may have caused a conflict, but looked her up on wiki and her husband is a physical therapist.
What constitutes a judge becoming inactive?
You might recuse if you’re corrupt.
+1
Another reason for recusal is low IQ.
Good for her! God bless her.
Amazing woman, how great she looks after having had all of those children.
:)
they are all leftists and do not want to cross the other leftists.
Small state everyone knows everybody
I gather that the transgender student athlete’s ID and picture would never have been divulged if not for rep Libby.
That student would have gone unnoticed in all competitions, and nobody would have asked any questions. But Libby want too far in pointing out the QUITE OBVIOUS transgender student.
Unlike senior status judges, who continue to provide judicial services at ~25% of the caseload of full status federal judges, inactive judges are retired from active service - generally due to disability, including age related disability, and are not assigned any judicial responsibilities.
So, are the inactive slots open for presidential appointments?
Yes.
Maybe the Maine judges are all trannies and waiting for their testicles or breasts to come back from the taxidermist? /s
The picture, name, etc were previously published in Maine media by Maine’s mainstream press, print and TV. Rep Libby was not ploughing new soil here. Democrats are purely evil.
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