Robert Molloy
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2020 - Present
2030
5
Robert Anthony Molloy is the chief judge of the U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands. He was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on June 12, 2019, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 25, 2020, by a 97-0 vote. To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here. He became chief judge in 2021.[1]
The U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands is one of three U.S. territorial courts. They are the general federal trial courts in the United States territories. To learn more about the court, click here.
Molloy was previously a judge on the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.[2]
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the U.S. Virgin Islands
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On June 12, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Molloy to a seat on the U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands. The U.S. Senate confirmed Molloy on February 25, 2020, by a 97-0 vote.[3] Molloy joined the court on April 27, 2020.[4] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: Robert Molloy |
| Court: District Court of the Virgin Islands |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 258 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: June 12, 2019
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: June 26, 2019
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: July 18, 2019
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| Confirmed: February 25, 2020
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| Vote: 97-0
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Molloy on February 25, 2020, on a vote of 97-0. To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Molloy confirmation vote (February 25, 2020) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
43 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
 Republican |
53 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
 Independent |
1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 97 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Molloy's confirmation on June 26, 2019.[5] The committee voted to advance Molloy's nomination to the full Senate on July 18, 2019.[6]
Nomination
Molloy was nominated to replace Judge Curtis V. Gomez. Gomez's term expired in 2015. Gomez stayed on as a federal judge on the district court pending his successor's confirmation.[7]
The American Bar Association rated unanimously Molloy qualified for the position.[8] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Education
Molloy obtained a B.S. in business management from Hampton University in 1997, a J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law in 2003, and an M.B.A. from the American University Kogod School of Business in 2004.[2][9]
Professional career
- 2020-present: Judge, U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands
- 2021-present:' Chief judge
- 2013-2020: Judge, Superior Court of the Virgin Islands
- 2007-2013: Assistant attorney general of labor, Virgin Islands Office of Collective Bargaining
- 2005-2007: Law clerk to Judge Raymond Finch, U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands
- 2004-2005: Judicial law clerk, Circuit Court of Arlington County
- 2004: Contract attorney, Williams & Connolly, LLP in Washington, D.C.[9][2]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2009, 2008: Virgin Islands Office of Collective Bargaining, Employee of the Year[9]
Associations
- American Bar Association
- Virgin Islands Bar Association
- Virgin Islands Commission on Judicial Disabilities
- Virgin Islands Judicial Management Advisory Council
- Virgin Islands Judiciary Advisory Committee on Rules[9]
About the court
| District of the Virgin Islands |
|---|
| Third Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 2 |
| Judges: 1 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Robert Molloy |
| Active judges: George W. Cannon, Wilma A. Lewis, Ruth Miller, Robert Molloy |
The District Court of the Virgin Islands is a federal court that has jurisdiction over the territory of the Virgin Islands of the United States. It was established by the Organic Act of 1936. Appeals of the court's decisions are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.
The court has the same jurisdiction as the United States district courts, including diversity jurisdiction and bankruptcy jurisdiction. The court is not an Article III court, however, but was created in accordance with the power granted under Article IV of the United States Constitution.[10]
The judge of the District Court of the Virgin Islands is an Article IV federal judge who is appointed to a 10-year term. Judges of this court are appointed by the president and subject to Senate confirmation. Judges may serve more than one term, subject to the standard nominating process.
The District Court of the Virgin Islands has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law as well as bankruptcy cases.
The jurisdiction of the District Court of the Virgin Islands includes the Virgin Islands of the United States. There are two courthouses for the Virgin Islands; one located in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, and one in Christiansted, St. Croix. Decisions of the court are appealed to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals at the James A. Byrne Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[11]
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
- Search Google News for this topic
- District Court of the Virgin Islands
- United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit
Footnotes
- ↑ The St. Thomas Source, "District Court of V.I. Rotates to Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy," April 29, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees and United States Marshal Nominee," May 29, 2019
- ↑ Congress.gov, "PN854 — Robert Anthony Molloy — The Judiciary," accessed May 7, 2020
- ↑ The St. John Source, "District Court of the V.I. Welcomes Robert A. Molloy to Federal Bench," April 28, 2020
- ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," June 26, 2019
- ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," July 18, 2019
- ↑ The Virgin Islands Consortium, "Trump nominates Judge Robert Molloy as district court judge, replacing Curtis Gomez," May 30, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed February 26, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Robert Anthony Molloy," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑ uscourts.gov, "Territorial Courts in the Federal Judiciary," accessed November 27, 2013
- ↑ United States District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands, "Court Info," accessed December 6, 2013
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands 2020-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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| Active judges |
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| Senior judges | |||
| Former Article I judges | Curtis V. Gomez • | ||
| Former Chief judges | |||
