Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/4/2011
May 4, 2011
By Joshua Meyer-Gutbrod
- For a District by District break down, see: Federal Court Vacancy Warning System
The current vacancy warning level for the U.S. Federal courts is set at Yellow and is unchanged despite an additional confirmation at the district court level. Approximately 10.4% of the total Article III posts are currently left unfilled. The vacancy information for the various court levels is as follows:
| Key: | |
| (Percentage of seats vacant.) | |
| 0% | 1%-9% |
| 10%-24% | 25%-40% |
| More than 40% | |
| Supreme Court | 0% or no vacancies |
| Appeals Courts | 9% or 17 vacancies |
| District Courts | 10.7% or 73 vacancies |
There are currently 9 Supreme Court posts, 179 appellate court posts and 680 district court posts for a total of 868 Article III judges. This count includes four temporary posts, one each in the Northern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Southern District of Florida and the Central District of California. There are currently 48 pending appointments in the Senate leaving 46% of the vacant posts without an appointment. So far this year there have been 19 confirmations.
Monthly map
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New Vacancies
Western District of Missouri
On April 30, 2011 Ortrie Smith assumed senior status in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Smith had served on the court since 1995 when he was appointed by Bill Clinton. The new vacancy raises the vacancy warning level of the district to Yellow. The vacancy is the third and last vacancy to open up in the month of April.
Senate Confirmations
Middle District of Florida
Roy Bale Dalton, Jr. was confirmed to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by the United States Senate on May 2, 2011. Dalton was originally appointed by President Obama on November 17, 2010. He was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Henry Adams who assumed senior status on April 8, 2010. The appointment lowers the vacancy warning level from Blue to Green filling the only vacant post on the court.
Middle District of Tennessee
Kevin Hunter Sharp was confirmed to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on May 2, 2011 by a vote of 89-0. Originally appointed on November 17, 2010, Sharp fills the seat vacated by Robert Echols when he assumed senior status on July 22, 2010. Like Dalton's confirmation, Sharp will fill the only vacant seat on the court, lowering the vacancy warning level from Yellow to Green.
Hearings and meetings
May 4, 2011
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing for May 4, 2011 at 2:30 pm est. The following judicial candidates will be present before the committee:
- John A. Ross, Eastern District of Missouri
- Timothy M. Cain, District of South Carolina
- Nannette Brown, Eastern District of Louisiana
- Nancy Torresen, District of Maine
- William Kuntz, Eastern District of New York
You can watch the webcast here.
May 5, 2011
The Senate Judiciary Committee Scheduled an Executive Business Meeting for May 5, 2011. The following judicial candidates will be considered at the meeting:
- Bernice Donald, Sixth Circuit
- Henry Floyd, Fourth Circuit
- Kathleen M. Williams, Southern District of Florida
- Nelva Gonzales Ramos, Southern District of Texas
- Richard B. Jackson, District of Colorado
- Sara Lynn Darrow, Central District of Illinois
You can watch the webcast here.
See also
Footnotes
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