Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count 10/24/2012
October 24, 2012
- For a District by District break down, see: Federal Court Vacancy Warning System
The current vacancy warning level for the U.S. District courts is set at Blue. There was one new vacancy this past week. That leaves the final tally at 77 vacancies or approximately 8.9% 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 | 7.8% or 14 vacancies |
| District Courts | 9.3% or 63 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. This also includes a shared post between the two Missouri districts and counts it as two posts with separate vacancies.
Weekly map
The new weekly map feature will be updated every week and posted here and on the vacancy warning level analysis page.
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New confirmations
There were no new confirmations this past week.
New vacancies
Northern District of Alabama
On October 24, 2012, Inge Johnson assumed senior status for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama after 14 years on the court. Johnson joined the court in 1998 after an appointment from Bill Clinton. In 1978, Johnson started her legal career as a part-time Municipal judge for the City Court of Muscle Shoals from 1978 to 1979. In 1979, Johnson was elected by the People of Alabama to become a Circuit Court judge in the 31st Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama until her appointment to the federal bench in 1999. Johnson was the Chief Judge of the Court from 1980 to 1999, the position she held at the time of her Federal appointment. Born in the nation of Denmark, Johnson moved to the United States in 1973 as Johnson attended the City of London College and graduated with a Certificate in English Law in 1968 and later graduated from the University of Copenhagen School of Law with a Juris Certificate in 1969. In 1970, Johnson moved to the United States, and attended the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. At Alabama, Johnson graduated with a Master of Laws degree in 1970 and Juris Doctorate degree in 1973 and was later that year admitted into the Alabama State Bar.[1] The vacancy creates the first vacancy on the court of eight, raising the vacancy warning level from Green to Yellow.
New nominations
There were no new nominations this past week.
Deaths
Ninth Circuit
On October 22, 2012, Senior Judge Betty Binns Fletcher passed away at the age of 89 after serving the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit for 33 years. Fletcher was originally appointed by Jimmy Carter and joined the court on September 26, 1979. At the time of her appointment, she was a private practice attorney in the state of Washington. Fletcher graduated from Stanford University with her bachelor's degree in 1943 and later from University of Washington School of Law with her J.D. degree in 1956.[2] She senior status on November 1, 1998 in order to accommodate the demands of Republican senators who cited anti-nepotism laws in blocking the confirmation of her son Judge William Fletcher to the court in 1998. However, upon assuming senior status, she maintained a full case load for a number of years afterwards.[3]
Fletcher will be remembered as a liberal judge who advocated for the disenfranchised and fought against discrimination. U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik mourned her passing, stating, "She had experienced discrimination herself in her life, and her perspective included looking out for the downtrodden, the little person — but always within the framework of the law." In fact, recalling her efforts to obtain employment as an early female lawyer, Binns has commented, "Prejudice came down on me like a ton of bricks because ... the professor who was supposed to get interviews for graduating students never got one for me. So I pounded the pavement with my resume and would just go in cold and say I wanted to see the hiring partner. The receptionist always thought some secretary was getting sacked, so I would get in and get the interview."[3] For these reasons, U.S. District Chief Judge Marsha Pechman sees Fletcher as a role model for women, stating "She was always willing to share with other women and talk about her life of being a mom and a judge and a lawyer."[3]
Judge Fletcher's husband passed away late last year and she is succeeded by four children.[3]
See also
Footnotes
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