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Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count 8/10/2011
August 10, 2011
- 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 blue and is down from last week. Three confirmations in the past week have dropped the total to 86 vacancies, leaving approximately 9.9% of the total Article III posts currently 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 | 10.1% or 18 vacancies |
| District Courts | 9.9% or 68 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 57 pending appointments in the Senate leaving 34% of the vacant posts without an appointment. So far this year there have been 34 confirmations.
New confirmations
In a flurry of activity on the part of the Senate, three additional district court judges were confirmed on Tuesday August 2, and were posted after the vacancy count was published. In addition to R. Brooke Jackson which we covered last week, confirmations were made to the Central District of Illinois, Southern District of Texas and Southern District of Florida. The three confirmations lowered the percentage of total vacant seats to 10%, the lowest it has been in 5 weeks.
Central District of Illinois
With a voice vote the United States Senate confirmed Sara Lynn Darrow to the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.[1] Darrow was originally nominated by Barack Obama on November 17, 2010 to replace Joe McDade when he assumed senior status on May 1, 2010. The confirmation fills the only vacancy on the four post court, lowering the vacancy warning level from Yellow to Green for the first time in over a year.
Southern District of Texas
The Senate also confirmed Nelva Gonzales Ramos to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on the same day.[1] Ramos was appointed by Barack Obama on January 26, 2011 to replace Hayden Head who retired on November 13, 2009. The confirmation fills one of four vacancies on the court, which has nineteen total posts. The vacancy warning level is regrettably unchanged due to the three remaining vacancies.
Southern District of Florida
The final confirmation by voice vote on August 2 filled a space on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.[1] Kathleen M. Williams was originally appointed by Barack Obama on July 21, 2010. The confirmation fills one of three vacancies on the court, but the vacancy level remains unchanged.
New vacancies
There were no new vacancies on the courts this week.
==New nominations==No new appointments this past week.
See also
Footnotes
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