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Joshua Kindred

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Joshua Kindred
Image of Joshua Kindred

Nonpartisan

Prior offices
United States District Court for the District of Alaska

Education

Bachelor's

University of Alaska, Anchorage, 2002

Law

Willamette University College of Law, 2005

Personal
Birthplace
Goldsboro, N.C.

Joshua Kindred was a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. He assumed office on February 18, 2020. He left office on July 8, 2024.

President Donald Trump (R) nominated Kindred as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Alaska on November 21, 2019. Kindred was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 12, 2020, by a 54-41 vote. To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Kindred was the regional solicitor for the Alaska Region of the Department of the Interior in Anchorage, Alaska, from 2018 to 2020.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the District of Alaska (2020-2024)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On November 21, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Kindred to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Alaska.[1] The U.S. Senate confirmed Kindred on February 12, 2020, by a 54-41 vote.[2] He received commission on February 18.[3] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Joshua Kindred
Court: United States District Court for the District of Alaska
Progress
Confirmed 83 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: November 21, 2019
ApprovedAABA Rating: Unanimously qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: December 4, 2019
QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: January 16, 2020 
ApprovedAConfirmed: February 12, 2020
ApprovedAVote: 54-41

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Kindred on February 12, 2020, on a vote of 54-41.[2] Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) joined 52 Republican senators to confirm the nominee. To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Kindred confirmation vote (February 12, 2020)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 2 40 3
Ends.png Republican 52 0 1
Grey.png Independent 0 1 1
Total 54 41 5
Change in Senate rules
See also:
Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress
Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
United States federal courts

Kindred was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.

On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[4]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[5]

It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[6] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.


Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Kindred's nomination on December 4, 2019.[7] Kindred was reported to the full Senate on January 16, 2020, after a 12-10 committee vote.[8]

Nomination

On October 16, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Kindred to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Alaska.[9] The president officially nominated Kindred on November 21.[1]

The nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2020.[1] The president officially renominated Kindred the same day.[2]

Kindred was nominated to replace Judge Ralph Beistline, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2015.[1]

Kindred received the support of Alaska Sens. Dan Sullivan (R) and Lisa Murkowski (R).[10]

Sullivan said: "With his extensive criminal and trial experience, combined with a deep understanding of Alaska and Alaska-centric federal laws that are so important to our state, like the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), I am confident he will be an exceptional jurist who will faithfully apply the law and uphold the Constitution."[10]

Murkowski said: "The balance of working in both public and private practice gives [Kindred] a well-rounded background for understanding all sides of the court process. This experience will serve him, and Alaskans, well."[10]

The American Bar Association unanimously rated Kindred qualified for the position.[11] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Early life and education

Kindred was born in 1977 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He earned his B.A. from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2002 and his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Willamette Law Review, in 2005.[12]

Professional career

Associations

  • Alaska Bar Association[12]

About the court

District of Alaska
Ninth Circuit
Alaska district court.gif
Judgeships
Posts: 3
Judges: 1
Vacancies: 2
Judges
Chief: Sharon L. Gleason
Active judges: Sharon L. Gleason

Senior judges:
Ralph Beistline, Timothy Burgess, H. Russel Holland, John Sedwick, James Singleton


The United States District Court for the District of Alaska is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of courthouses in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Nome. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit based in downtown San Francisco at the James R. Browning Federal Courthouse.

The District of Alaska has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

Offices are located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan and Nome.

To read opinions published by this court, click here.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN1301 — Joshua M. Kindred — The Judiciary," accessed November 22, 2019
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Congress.gov, "PN1326 — Joshua M. Kindred — The Judiciary," accessed January 10, 2020
  3. ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Kindred, Joshua Michael," accessed February 19, 2020
  4. ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
  5. ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
  6. ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
  7. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," December 4, 2019
  8. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of the Executive Business Meeting," January 16, 2020
  9. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees," October 16, 2019
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Must Read Alaska, "Trump to nominate Josh Kindred to US District Court," October 16, 2019
  11. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 116th Congress," accessed December 4, 2019
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Joshua Michael Kindred," accessed December 17, 2019

Political offices
Preceded by
- 		United States District Court for the District of Alaska
2020-2024		 Succeeded by
-


Alaska courts

Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Alaska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Alaska

State courts:

Alaska Supreme Court • Alaska Court of Appeals • Alaska Superior Court • Alaska District Court

State resources:

Courts in Alaska • Alaska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alaska

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