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Paul Niemeyer
1990 - Present
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Paul Victor Niemeyer is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. He joined the court in 1990 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush. Prior to joining the Fourth Circuit, Judge Niemeyer served as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.[1]
Education
Niemeyer graduated from Kenyon College with his bachelor's degree in 1962, and from Notre Dame Law School with his J.D. in 1966.[1]
Professional career
From 1966 to 1988, Niemeyer was in private practice in Baltimore, Maryland.[1]
Judicial career
4th Circuit Court of Appeals
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Paul V. Niemeyer |
| Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 85 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: May 11, 1990
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| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: July 16, 1990
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| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: July 26, 1990
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| Confirmed: August 4, 1990
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| Vote: Unanimous consent
|
Niemeyer was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on May 11, 1990, to a seat vacated by Judge Harrison Winter as Winter assumed senior status. The American Bar Association rated Niemeyer Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination.[2] Hearings on Niemeyer's nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 16, 1990, and his nomination was reported by then-U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) on July 26, 1990. Niemeyer was confirmed in the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on August 3, 1990, and he received his commission on August 7, 1990.[1][3]
United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Niemeyer was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on September 11, 1987, to a seat vacated by Judge Frank Kaufman as Kaufman assumed senior status. Hearings on Niemeyer's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 27, 1988, and his nomination was reported by then-U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) on February 4, 1998. Niemeyer was confirmed in the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on February 19, 1988, and he received his commission on February 22, 1988. He resigned from the district court on August 10, 1990, upon his elevation to the Fourth Circuit. Niemeyer was succeeded in this position by Judge Benson Legg.[1][4]
Noteworthy cases
Challenge to Virginia ban on same-sex marriage (2014)
- See also: United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit (Bostic v. Rainey, et al, No. 14-1173)
- See also: United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit (Bostic v. Rainey, et al, No. 14-1173)
Judge Henry Floyd wrote the 2-1 opinion affirming the Eastern District of Virginia's ruling that found a ban on same-sex marriages to be unconstitutional. Judge Roger Gregory joined the majority opinion and Paul Niemeyer wrote the dissent. The majority found the defendants arguments that the law protected responsible procreation, proper child-rearing and the tradition of marriage, to be in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses. Judge Floyd wrote in conclusion:
| “ | We recognize that same-sex marriage makes some people deeply uncomfortable. However, inertia and apprehension are not legitimate bases for denying same-sex couples due process and equal protection of the laws. Civil marriage is one of the cornerstones of our way of life. It allows individuals to celebrate and publicly declare their intentions to form lifelong partnerships, which provide unparalleled intimacy, companionship, emotional support, and security. The choice of whether and who to marry is an intensely personal decision that alters that course of an individual's life. Denying same-sex couples this choice prohibits them from participating fully in our society, which is precisely the type of segregation that the Fourteenth Amendment cannot countenance.[5][6] | ” |
In dissent, Judge Paul Niemeyer wrote that the United States Constitution does not explicitly define fundamental right for same-sex marriages it should be left to the States to decided if it should be recognized or not. He wrote:
| “ | The U.S. Constitution does not, in my judgement, restrict the States' policy choices on this issue. If given the choice, some States will surely recognize same-sex marriage and some will surely not. But that is, to be sure, the beauty of federalism.[5][6] | ” |
See also
External links
- Judge Niemeyer's biography from the Fourth Circuit's website
- Judge Niemeyer's biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Federal Judicial Center, "Biographical directory of federal judges," accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 101st Congress," accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1256 - Paul V. Niemeyer - The Judiciary," accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 599 - Paul V. Niemeyer - The Judiciary," accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, "Bostic v. Rainey," July 28, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit 1990-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the District of Maryland 1988-1990 |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: George L. Russell, III • Julie Rubin • Theodore Chuang • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Paula Xinis • Deborah Boardman • Matthew Maddox • Brendan Hurson • Adam Abelson | ||
| Senior judges |
Richard Bennett (Maryland) • Catherine Blake • William M. Nickerson • Deborah Chasanow • Ellen Hollander • James Bredar • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Charles Day • Susan Gauvey • Jillyn Schulze • Timothy J. Sullivan • C. Bruce Anderson • David Copperthite • Mark Coulson • Gina Simms • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Alexander Williams • William Paca • James Winchester • James Houston • Theodorick Bland • Elias Glenn • Upton Scott Heath • John Glenn (Maryland) • William Fell Giles • Thomas John Morris • Paul Niemeyer • John Carter Rose (Maryland) • Benson Legg • Walter Black • Andre Davis • Marvin Garbis • Alex Harvey • William Quarles • Roger Titus • Peter Messitte • Joseph Young (Maryland) • Morris Ames Soper • William Caldwell Coleman • William Calvin Chesnut • Joseph Clemens Howard • Harrison Winter • Charles Blair • John Hargrove • Shirley Jones • Frank Kaufman • James Rogers Miller Jr. (Federal judge) • Herbert Murray • Edward Northrop • Norman Ramsey • Roszel Thomsen • Robert Watkins • Frederic Smalkin • Paul Grimm • George Jarrod Hazel • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Benson Legg • Catherine Blake • Walter Black • Alex Harvey • Frederick Motz • William Caldwell Coleman • Frank Kaufman • Edward Northrop • Roszel Thomsen • Robert Watkins • Frederic Smalkin • James Bredar • | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 |
Bartlett • Beam • Becker • Bork • Cacheris • Cardamone • Chapman • Coughenour • Cox • Crow • Cyr • Doumar • Eschbach • Forrester • Garwood • Gibson • Glasser • Hall • Hamilton • Head • Jones • Kiser • Krenzler • Lee • Magnuson • McLaughlin • Miner • Moore • Nowlin • O'Connor • Pierce • Posner • Potter • Russell • Ryan • Shabaz • Sprizzo • Stevens • Waters • Wilhoit • Wilkins • Winter | ||
| 1982 |
Acker • Acosta • Altimari • Bell • Bissell • Black • Bullock • Caldwell • Coffey • Contie • Coyle • Dowd • Fagg • Fong • Fox • Gadbois • Gibson • Ginsburg • Hart • Higginbotham • Hogan • Irving • Jackson • Jolly • Kanne • Kovachevich • Krupansky • Lynch • Mansmann • McNamara • Mencer • Mentz • Mihm • Moody • Nordberg • Paul • Pieras • Plunkett • Porfilio • Potter • Pratt • Rafeedie • Restani • Roberts • Scalia • Selya • Telesca • Wellford | ||
| 1983 |
Baldock • Barbour • Barry • Bowman • Carman • Carter • Curran • Davis • Dorsey • Feldman • Fish • Flaum • Gibbons • Hallanan • Harris • Hinojosa • Hull • Hupp • Katz • Keenan • Kelly • Kram • Laffitte • Limbaugh, Sr. • Limbaugh, Sr. • Milburn • Nesbitt • Nevas • O'Neill • Rymer • Sharp • Starr • Vinson • Vukasin • Wexler • Woods | ||
| 1984 |
Barker • Beezer • Biggers • Billings • Bissell • Boyle • Brewster • Browning • DiCarlo • Duhe • Garcia • George • Hall • Hargrove • Higgins • Hill • Holland • Ideman • Jarvis • Keller • Leavy • Lee • Legge • Leisure • Little • Livaudais • Longobardi • McKibben • Milburn • Newman • Norgle • Prado • Rea • Rosenblatt • Rovner • Scirica • Smith, Jr. • Sneeden • Stotler • Suhrheinrich • Torruella • Wiggins • Wilkinson | ||
| 1985 |
Alley • Altimari • Anderson • Aquilino • Archer • Arnold • Baldock • Batchelder • Battey • Broomfield • Brown • Brown • Brunetti • Buckley • Cobb • Conmy • Cowen • Davidson • Dimmick • Duff • Easterbrook • Edgar • Farnan • Fernandez • Fitzpatrick • Fuste • Greene • Gunn • Guy • Hall • Hilton • Holderman • Hughes • Johnson • Jones • Korman • Kozinski • La Plata • Leinenweber • Letts • Lovell • Ludwig • Maloney • Mansmann • Marcus • McDonald • Meredith • Miller • Mills • Miner • Motz • Nelson • Noonan • Porfilio • Revercomb • Rhoades • Ripple • Rodriguez • Rosenbaum • Roth • Ryan • Sam • Scott • Sentelle • Silberman • Sporkin • Stanton • Stapleton • Strand • Strom • Tacha • Tevrizian • Thompson • Todd • Tsoucalas • Walker • Walter • Weber • Williams • Wilson • Wingate • Wolf • Wollman • Young • Zloch | ||
| 1986 |
Anderson • Boggs • Bryan • Cedarbaum • Cholakis • Conway • Davies • Dearie • Dubina • Duggan • Edmondson • Fawsett • Fitzwater • Gex • Graham • Hackett • Hansen • Henderson • Hittner • Howard • Jensen • Kay • Kleinfeld • Kosik • Lagueux • Lechner • Magill • Mahoney • Manion • McAvoy • McQuade • Norris • O'Scannlain • Rehnquist • Ryskamp • Scalia • Selya • Simpson • Smalkin • Spencer • Stiehl • Wilkins • Williams • Woodlock • Zatkoff | ||
| 1987 |
Alesia • Beam • Bell • Conboy • Cowen • Cummings • Daronco • Doty • Dwyer • Ebel • Ellis • Gadola • Gawthrop • Greenberg • Harrington • Howard • Hoyt • Hutchinson • Kanne • Kelly • Larimer • Leavy • Lew • Marsh • Mayer • McKinney • Michel • Mukasey • Musgrave • Niemeyer • Parker • Phillips • Politan • Pro • Raggi • Reasoner • Reed • Scirica • Sentelle • Smith • Smith • Stadtmueller • Standish • Tinder • Torres • Trott • Turner • Van Antwerpen • Voorhees • Webb • Whipple • Wolin • Wolle • Wood • Zagel | ||
| 1988 |
Arcara • Babcock • Brorby • Butler • Cambridge • Camp • Conlon • Cox • Dubois • Duhe • Ezra • Forester • Friedman • Garza • Hutton • Jordan • Kennedy • Lake • Lamberth • Lifland • Lozano • Marovich • Nygaard • Patterson • Schell • Smith • Smith • Tilley • Waldman • Zilly | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 |
Barksdale • Bonner • Buckwalter • Cyr • Fernandez • Garbis • Harmon • Lee • Lindberg • Lodge • Nelson • Nottingham • Plager • Rosen • Rymer • Smith • Spatt • Thomas • VanBebber • J. Walker • V. Walker • Wiener • Wright | ||
| 1990 |
Alito • Amon • Birch • Boudin • Cleland • Clevenger • Dubina • Hamilton • Henderson • Hood • Hornby • Jones • Kent • Levi • Loken • Lourie • Martin • McBryde • McClure • McKenna • McLaughlin • McNamee • Moreno • Mullen • Nelson • Nickerson • Niemeyer • Norton • Parker • Pickering • Rader • Rainey • Randolph • Shanstrom • Shedd • Shubb • Singleton • Skretny • Souter • Sparr • Stahl • Stamp • Suhrheinrich • Taylor • Vollmer • Ware • Wilson | ||
| 1991 |
Albritton • Andersen • Armstrong • Arnold • Bartle • Bassler • Batchelder • Beckwith • Belot • Benson • Blackburn • Bramlette • Brody • Brody • Burrell • Carnes • Caulfield • Cauthron • Clement • Collier • Conway • Cooper • Dalzell • DeMent • DeMoss • Doherty • Echols • Edmunds • Faber • Freeh • Gaitan • Garza • Graham • Haik • Hamilton • Hansen • Hendren • Herlong • Highsmith • Hogan • Huff • Hurley • Irenas • Johnson • Joyner • Kelly • Kleinfeld • Legg • Leonard • Lewis • Longstaff • Lungstrum • Luttig • Matia • McCalla • McDade • McKeague • McKelvie • Means • Merryday • Moore • Morgan • Nielsen • Nimmons • Osteen Sr. • Padova • Payne • Reinhard • Robinson • Robreno • Roll • Roth • Schlesinger • Scullin • Siler • Solis • Sotomayor • Sparks • Stohr • Thomas • Traxler • Trimble • Ungaro • Van Sickle • Wanger • Werlein • Whyte • Yohn | ||
| 1992 |
Baird • Barbadoro • Black • Boudin • Carnes • Covello • DiClerico • Gilbert • Gonzalez • Gorton • Hansen • Heyburn • Jackson • Jacobs • Keeley • Kendall • Kopf • Kyle • Lewis • McAuliffe • McLaughlin • Melloy • Preska • Quist • Randa • Rosenthal • Rovner • Schall • Sedwick • Simandle • Stahl • Vratil • Williams | ||
