Confirmation hearing held for Judge Bernice Donald

March 31, 2011

Washington D.C.: On Wednesday, March 16, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for Judge Bernice Donald. Donald was nominated by President Obama to the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit to fill the seat left vacant by Senior Judge Ronald Lee Gilman. The hearing was notable for its briefness, a mere 20 minutes. The hearing's key point of interest was when Senator Chuck Schumer asked whether Donald, who currently sits on the District Court for the Western District of Tennessee bench, if she had any hesitation in applying the Sixth Circuit Court's ruling after it reversed her 2007 ruling in a school desegregation. Donald answered by saying that she would never have problem applying an appellate court's ruling. The committee did not decide that day if it would send the nomination to the U.S. Senate for approval, but the committee's decision is expected in the coming weeks.