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Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Bill Creating Dozens New Judgeships

By Jeralyn, Section Judiciary
Posted on Thu May 15, 2008 at 04:56:44 PM EST
Tags: judicial nominees (all tags)
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The Senate Judiciary Committee today approved a bill that would create dozens of new federal judgeships.

The effective date of the bill is Jan. 20, 2009, which means we will have a new President. These are lifetime positions and the President makes the nominations.

The independence of our federal judiciary is one of the most important reasons we need a Democrat to be elected President. After 8 years of the appointment of conservative judges, the pendulum needs to swing back.

This is just another reason why when all is said and done with the presidential nomination, Democrats need to quickly come together to ensure that the party's candidate wins in November.

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    Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Bill Creating Dozens New Judgeships | 16 comments (16 topical)

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    Just hope it doesn't turn out that they (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by inclusiveheart on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:01:18 PM EST
    are counting their chickens before they've hatched.

    I still don't believe that the GOP will be "easy" to defeat in November.  I won't believe it until the first Wednesday in November and we've actually won.

    Well, if you go through the links (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by scribe on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:21:33 PM EST
    and actually read the bill, folks, you'll find this:

    SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) In General- This Act (including the amendments made by this Act) shall take effect on January 21, 2009.

    And, you'll note that the distribution is tilted a bit toward "red" states or circuits, though I really think docket concerns probably drove the distrbution more.

    thanks I added that to the post (none / 0) (#10)
    by Jeralyn on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:52:38 PM EST
    I missed in when I clicked through to the bill.

    Parent
    A *Deity* help us (none / 0) (#2)
    by cmugirl on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:01:40 PM EST


    Absolutely agree (none / 0) (#3)
    by DWCG on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:07:35 PM EST
    Democrats need to quickly come together to ensure that the party's candidate wins in November.

    Here! Here!

    Leahy needs some calls (none / 0) (#4)
    by talex on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:11:45 PM EST
    to his office to make sure he is not suggesting to putting this to a floor vote.

    Wow... (none / 0) (#5)
    by Alec82 on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:18:29 PM EST
    ...four more judges for the Eastern District of California, and four for the Ninth Circuit.  That would have a profound impact where I live.  

     The Ninth Circuit really needs to be split up.  It covers nine states, including the largest, and two territories to boot.

     If McCain wins (and there is every possibility that he might) the Democrats in the senate need to step up and demand that he put in moderates.

     But I am hopeful that we will have massive Democratic gains this November...and then, hopefully, we can work on bringing back integrity to the courts and the White House.

    A Couple of Points (none / 0) (#7)
    by The Maven on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:32:42 PM EST
    First, creating the judicial positions themselves doesn't mean that any of them would be filled before the end of Bush's term.  I doubt very much that with a looming election, the Senate would confirm any judge who isn't genuinely of the highest caliber and strongly supported by both parties.  (Yes, I know we've been betrayed by the Senate leadership before on this sort of thing, but not in the waning months of the Bush presidency.)

    Second -- and perhaps even more notably -- there's no indication on Thomas that a companion bill even exists in the House, which probably means that that chamber would only introduce a measure once the Senate has already passed S.2774.  And then the House Judiciary Committee would have to hold its hearings on the bill.  Call me crazy, but I just can't see Chairman Conyers pushing this through at breakneck speed in order to give Bush all these extra nominations.

    Please, please, please (none / 0) (#9)
    by scribe on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:46:34 PM EST
    People - read my comment #6 on this thread.

    IF this bill is passed and signed, Bushie will not get to do anything with it, since it will not take effect until the day after he leaves office.

    Assuming, of course, he actually leaves when he's supposed to.

    Parent

    Yes, I'd Missed That Part (none / 0) (#12)
    by The Maven on Thu May 15, 2008 at 06:11:10 PM EST
    of the bill, and I'd opened up the comment box before yours was posted.

    Though all I was saying were some additional reasons why there was no real need to panic.  The plain language of the bill ought to remove any worries whatsoever, obviously.

    Parent

    Democrat appointed judges.... (none / 0) (#8)
    by kdog on Thu May 15, 2008 at 05:33:02 PM EST
    is no guarantee of liberty.  Better in my mind than Republican appointments...sure, but not by much.  Certainly not enough to get me out of the "none of the above" contingent.

    yeah, good luck on that. (none / 0) (#11)
    by cpinva on Thu May 15, 2008 at 06:01:33 PM EST
    This is just another reason why when all is said and done with the presidential nomination, Democrats need to quickly come together to ensure that the party's candidate wins in November.

    the odds of this happening, should obama be the nominee, are slim to none, and none just left town.

    i've said earlier, should sen. obama be the dem. nominee, i'd hold my nose and vote for him. the more i see and learn, the less i'm inclined to hold my nose.

    his arrogance and ignorance (yes, i said ignorance) are just astounding, for someone running for the most powerful position in the world.

    better john mccain should screw the country up even more than it is, than put a totally unqualified neophyte in office, and lose the white house for the next 20 years as a result.

    as it is, sen. obama can't win in nov. anyway, so my support means nothing.

    Western District Wisconsin (none / 0) (#13)
    by Ben Masel on Thu May 15, 2008 at 06:35:06 PM EST
    Supposedly the heaviest caseload in  the whole federal system, but no new Judgeship. I'm not complaining.

    The leadership of the party is setting up (none / 0) (#14)
    by kenosharick on Thu May 15, 2008 at 08:58:16 PM EST
    a McCain victory, and now they are handing him even more power. It boggles the mind.

    kenosharick (none / 0) (#16)
    by cal1942 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 06:43:33 PM EST
    I agree.  They should have held off until after the election.  If the GOP wins they will have handed them more lifetime appointments. If the GOP does win they should back off on the expansion.

    I believe I may have made a comment either here or on another site that the Congress can do as it pleases with the Federal court system at any time.

    Those worried about McCain appointments to vacancies on any Federal court are ignoring the Constitution Article 3 Section 1. Congress controls the number of judges on any court including the Supreme Court.  The number nine is not sacred.

    For that matter Democrats can reject one appointment after another until reasonable appointees are offered.

    Of course, that will require balls.

     

    Parent

    Okay, Jeralyn (none / 0) (#15)
    by Militarytracy on Fri May 16, 2008 at 09:53:25 AM EST
    Only on your advisement and BTDs. Not for any other Democratic punditry out there though in the media and on the net with their histories on this nomination race!  Almost all of those jerks and kiss my............

    Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Bill Creating Dozens New Judgeships | 16 comments (16 topical)

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