Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count 2/26/2014

Key: (Numbers indicate % of seats vacant.) 0% 1%-9% 10%-24% 25%-40% More than 40%

February 26, 2014

By Courtney Collins

This week's Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count includes nominations, confirmations and vacancies from February 19, 2014 to February 26, 2014. Nominations, confirmations and vacancies occurring on February 19th will be reflected in the March 5th report.

The vacancy warning level remained at yellow this week after no new vacancies and 4 new confirmations. The vacancy percentage fell to 10.6%. There were no new nominations this week, which allowed the total number of nominees waiting for confirmation to fall to 59. The number of vacancies of Article III judges fell to 92 out of 865. A breakdown of the vacancies on each level can be found in the table below. For a more detailed look at the vacancies on the federal courts, see our Federal Court Vacancy Warning System.

Vacancies by court

Court	# of Seats	Vacancies
Supreme Court	9	0% or no vacancies
Appeals Courts	179	8.9% or 16 vacancies
District Courts	677	11.2% or 76 vacancies
All Judges	865	10.6% or 92 vacancies

New confirmations

District of Connecticut

Jeffrey Meyer

On February 24, 2014, Jeffrey Meyer was confirmed by the United States Senate on a vote of 91-2. Meyer was confirmed 262 days after his nomination by President Barack Obama and fills a vacancy that was created when Mark Kravitz passed away in September of 2012. Prior to his confirmation, Meyer was Professor of Law at Yale University and Quinnipiac University. Jennifer Brown, dean of Quinnipiac's Law School: “ Quinnipiac University School of Law is thrilled to see Jeffrey Meyer confirmed as the newest judge for the United States District Court in Connecticut. For more than eight years, Jeff has shared with students and faculty colleagues his rich and diverse professional experience, his sound judgment, and his profound sense of public service. ” Jeffrey Meyer's confirmation removed the only vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. The vacancy warning level fell from yellow to green.

Eastern District of Arkansas

James Moody

James Moody Jr. was confirmed by the Senate on February 25, 2014 on a vote of 95-4. Moody vacates a seat on the Arkansas 6th Judicial Circuit, a position he held from 2003 until his confirmation. He spent 215 days awaiting confirmation after a nomination by President Barack Obama. In a joint statement by Arkansas Senators: “ Judge Moody’s legal career demonstrates his pursuit of justice. I believe his experience makes him a great fit for U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas and I am confident that he will continue to pursue the interest of the law during his service on the bench. ” —Senator John Boozman R-Ark. “ Arkansas only has eight U.S. District Judges, and we’ve been waiting months now for two outstanding, and non-controversial, candidates to be confirmed. I’m pleased my colleagues have finally allowed Judge Moody’s confirmation to go through. As I’ve said from the beginning of this process, Judge Moody not only meets, but exceeds the qualities we want in our judges. He’s well-qualified, he’s fair and impartial, and he has the proper judicial temperament. I’m confident he will serve our state with distinction. ” —Senator Mark Pryor D-Ark. The confirmation removed the only vacancy on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The vacancy warning level fell from yellow to green.

Northern District of California

Beth Labson Freeman

On February 25, 2014, Beth Labson Freeman was confirmed by the Senate on a vote of 91-7. Freeman was judge for the Superior Court of San Mateo County from 2001 until her confirmation. Freeman was nominated in June of 2013 and waited 250 days for confirmation. The confirmation removed one of three vacancies on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and along with the confirmation of James Donato only one vacancy remains. The vacancy warning level fell from yellow to blue.

James Donato

James Donato was confirmed on February 25, 2014 by the United States Senate on a vote of 90-5. Prior to his confirmation Donato was a Litigation Partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP from 2009. His confirmation occurred 250 days after his nomination. The confirmation removed one of three vacancies on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and along with the confirmation of Beth Labson Freeman only one vacancy remains. The vacancy warning level fell from yellow to blue.

Passings

Stanley Brotman

Former judge Stanley Brotman passed away on February 21, 2014. Brotman was New Jersey's longest serving judge, sitting on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey for 38 years, from 1975 until 2013. He spent his entire career before joining the bench working in private practice. He was an alumnus of Yale and Harvard Law. He left Yale in 1942 to serve in the United States Army during World War II, where he was assigned to the Office of Strategic Services. Chief judge Jerome Simandle:

“

He really loved public service and the opportunity to resolve disputes. He had a knack for bringing people together.

”

New vacancies

There were no new vacancies this week.

New nominations

There were no new nominations this week.

Weekly map

The weekly map is updated every week and posted here and on the vacancy warning level analysis page.

See also

• United States federal courts

Footnotes