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Mark Pittman
2019 - Present
6
Mark Pittman is a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. On January 17, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Pittman to a seat on this court. The U.S. Senate confirmed Pittman on July 31, 2019, on a 54-36 vote.[1] He received commission on August 5, 2019.[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas 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.
Although federal judicial offices are officially nonpartisan, Pittman is a member of the Republican Party. He was a Republican Place 6 judge of the Texas Second District Court of Appeals from 2017 to 2019 and a judge for the 352nd District of Texas from 2015 to 2017.
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (2019-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On January 17, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Pittman to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The U.S. Senate confirmed Pittman on July 31, 2019, on a 54-36 vote.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Mark Pittman |
| Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 195 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: January 17, 2019
|
| ABA Rating: Substantial Majority Qualified/Minority Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: March 5, 2019
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: April 4, 2019
|
| Confirmed: July 31, 2019
|
| Vote: 54-36
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Pittman on July 31, 2019, on a vote of 54-36.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Pittman confirmation vote (July 31, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
3 | 35 | 7 | ||||||
 Republican |
51 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
 Independent |
0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 54 | 36 | 10 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Pittman was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established in 2019.
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.[3]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[4]
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.[5] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Pittman's nomination on March 5, 2019.[6] Click here to access Pittman's committee questionnaire.
On April 4, 2019, the committee voted 12-10 to advance Pittman's nomination to the full Senate.[7]
Nomination
President Trump nominated Pittman to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas to succeed Judge John McBryde, who assumed senior status on October 9, 2018.[1]
The American Bar Association rated Pittman qualified by a substantial majority and well qualified by a minority.[8] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Texas Second District Court of Appeals (2017-2019)
- See also: Judges appointed by Greg Abbott
Pittman was a Republican Place 6 judge of the Texas Second District Court of Appeals from 2017 to 2019. Governor Greg Abbott (R) appointed Pittman to the court on January 6, 2017, to succeed Justice Lee Ann Dauphinot.[9] Pittman was elected to the court in 2018. He won the general election on November 6, 2018, after advancing from the primary on March 6, 2018.
2018 election
General election
General election for Texas Second District Court of Appeals Place 6
Incumbent Mark Pittman won election in the general election for Texas Second District Court of Appeals Place 6 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mark Pittman (R) | 100.0 | 696,832 |
| Total votes: 696,832 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas Second District Court of Appeals Place 6
Incumbent Mark Pittman advanced from the Republican primary for Texas Second District Court of Appeals Place 6 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Pittman |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Texas District Court 352 (2015-2017)
- See also: Judges appointed by Rick Perry
Pittman was a judge for the 352nd District of Texas from 2015 to 2017. Gov. Rick Perry (R) appointed Pittman to this court in January 2015.[10] He served on this court until 2017, when he was elevated to the Texas Second District Court of Appeals.
2016 election
Texas held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 1, 2016. A primary runoff election was held on May 24, 2016, for any seat where the top vote recipient did not receive a majority of the primary vote.[11] Incumbent Mark Pittman ran unopposed in the Texas 352nd District Court Republican primary.[12]
| Texas 352nd District Court, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mark Pittman Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 131,907 |
| Total Votes | 131,907 | |
| Source: Tarrant County, Texas, "Unofficial Results," accessed March 2, 2016 | ||
Mark Pittman won without opposition in the general election.
Early life and education
Pittman was born in 1975 in Big Spring, Texas. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Texas A&M University in 1996 and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1999.[13][14]
Professional career
- 2019-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- 2017-2019: Justice, Texas Second District Court of Appeals
- 2015-2017: Judge, 352nd District Court of Texas
- 2014-2015: Special assistant U.S. attorney, United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas
- 2011-2015: Enforcement attorney, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- 2009-2011: Senior attorney, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- 2007-2009: Assistant U.S. attorney, United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas
- 2004-2007: Trial attorney, U.S. Department of Justice
- 2001-2004: Litigation associate, Kelly, Hart & Hallman, LLP
- 2000-2001: Law clerk to Judge Eldon Mahon, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas[14]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2013: SEC Excellence in Information Technology Award
- 2010: FDIC Chairman's Mission Achievement Award[14]
Associations
- Member, American Judges Association
- Member, Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court
- Member, The Federalist Society
- Member, Tarrant County Bar Association
- Member, Tarrant County Aggie Bar Association
- Fellow, Tarrant County Bar Foundation
- Member, Texas Bar Foundation
- Former member, Tarrant County Board of District Judges
- Former member, Tarrant County Juvenile Board
- Former member, Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association
- Former member, American Bar Association[14]
About the court
| Northern District of Texas |
|---|
| Fifth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 12 |
| Judges: 11 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Reed O'Connor |
| Active judges: Jane Boyle, Ada Brown, David Godbey, James Wesley Hendrix, Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, James Kinkeade, Sam Lindsay, Reed O'Connor, Mark Pittman, Karen Gren Scholer, Brantley Starr Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas is one of 94 United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit based in downtown New Orleans at the John Minor Wisdom Federal Courthouse.
The Northern District of Texas has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The court convenes in Dallas with divisions in Fort Worth, Amarillo, Abilene, Lubbock, San Angelo, and Wichita Falls. It has jurisdiction over 100 counties in the Northern and Central parts of the state of Texas. Click here for a list of divisions and the counties they cover.
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
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- Texas Second District Court of Appeals
- Texas District 352
- Texas
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Texas Second District Court of Appeals
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN207 — Mark T. Pittman — The Judiciary," accessed April 5, 2019
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Pittman, Mark Timothy," accessed August 7, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," March 5, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," April 4, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV Judicial Nominees: 116th Congress," accessed March 5, 2019
- ↑ Office of the Texas Governor, "Governor Abbott Appoints Pittman To Second Court Of Appeals," January 6, 2017
- ↑ Fort Worth Business Press, "Perry appoints Pittman as judge of the 352nd Judicial District Court," January 8, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed December 18, 2015
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Nineteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees," January 16, 2019
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Mark Timothy Pittman," accessed August 1, 2019
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Texas Second District Court of Appeals Place 6 2017-2019 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Texas 352nd District Court 2015-2017 |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
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| 2019 |
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| 2025 |
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Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
