Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count 10/31/2012
October 31, 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 were three new vacancies this past week, with two at the district level and one at the appellate level. That leaves the final tally at 80 vacancies or approximately 9.3% 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 | 8.4% or 15 vacancies |
| District Courts | 9.6% or 65 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
Eastern District of California
On October 31, 2012 Anthony Ishii assumed senior status after serving on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California for 15 years. Since 2008, Judge Ishii has served as the chief judge of the court. He was originally confirmed on October 14, 1997 after an appointment from Bill Clinton. At the time of appointment, Ishii was a Municipal Court judge im the Central Valley Municipal Court based in Fresno County from 1994 to 1997. A native of California, Ishii graduated from Reedley Junior College with his bachelor's degree in 1966 and later earning a Pharmacy degree at the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy in 1970 along with a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California-Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law with his Juris Doctorate degree in 1973.[1] His transition to senior status creates the second vacancy on the court of six, raising the vacancy warning level from Yellow to Orange.
Eastern District of Wisconsin
On October 31, 2012 Charles Clevert assumed senior status for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin after serving on the court for 16 years. He has served as the chief judge of the court since 2009. Clevert first joined the court on July 29, 1996 after an appointment from Bill Clinton. At the time of his appointment he was a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Wisconsin and was serving as chief judge of the court. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Clevert attended Davis and Elkins College, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1969. He then earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1972.[2] The transition to senior status creates the first vacancy on the court of five, raising the vacancy warning level from Green to Yellow.
Appeals for the Federal Circuit
On October 31, 2012, Richard Linn assumed senior status for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit after serving on the court for 13 years. Linn originally joined the court on November 19, 1999 after an appointment from Bill Clinton. At the time of appointment, Linn was a private practice attorney. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Linn graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a bachelor's in Electrical Engineering in 1965 and later from Georgetown University Law Center with his J.D. degree in 1969.[3]The transition to senior status creates the second vacancy on the court of twelve, raising the vacancy warning level from Blue to Yellow.
New nominations
There were no new nominations this week.
See also
Footnotes
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