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Toby Crouse
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2020 - Present
4
Toby Crouse is a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. He was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on May 21, 2020, and confirmed by a 50-43 U.S. Senate vote on November 17, 2020. He received his judicial commission on December 2, 2020. To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas 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.
Crouse was the solicitor general for the state of Kansas from 2018 to 2020.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the District of Kansas
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On May 21, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Crouse to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. He was confirmed by a 50-32 vote of the U.S. Senate on November 17, 2020.[1] He received commission on December 2, 2020. To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Toby Crouse |
| Court: United States District Court for the District of Kansas |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 180 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: May 21, 2020
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously well qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: July 29, 2020
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: September 17, 2020
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| Confirmed: November 17, 2020
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| Vote: 50-43
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Crouse by a vote of 50-43 on November 17, 2020.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Crouse confirmation vote (November 17, 2020) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
1 | 41 | 3 | ||||||
 Republican |
49 | 0 | 4 | ||||||
 Independent |
0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 50 | 43 | 7 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Crouse 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.[2]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[3]
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.[4] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Crouse had his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 29, 2020.[5] The committee voted 12-10 to advance Crouse's nomination to the full U.S. Senate on September 17, 2020.[6]
Nomination
On May 7, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Crouse to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.[7] The president officially submitted the nomination on May 21.
Crouse was nominated to replace Judge Carlos Murguia, who resigned on April 1, 2020.
Crouse received support from the U.S. senators from Kansas, Jerry Moran (R) and Pat Roberts (R).[8]
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Crouse well qualified for the position.[9] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Early life and education
Crouse was born in 1975 in McPherson, Kansas. He earned his B.S. from Kansas State University in 1997 and his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 2000. During his legal studies, he was inducted into the Order of the Coif. Crouse was also an articles editor on the University of Kansas Law Review.[7][10]
Professional career
- 2020-present: Judge, District of Kansas
- 2018-2020:
- Solicitor general, Office of the Attorney General of Kansas
- Owner, Crouse LLC
- 2008-2018: Foulston Siefkin, LLP
- 2011-2018: Partner
- 2008-2010: Special counsel
- 2003-2007: Associate, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP
- 2002-2003: Law clerk to Judge Mary Briscoe, United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
- 2000-2002: Law clerk to Judge Monti Belot, United States District Court for the District of Kansas[10]
SCOTUS cases
Crouse was involved in litigation for three cases during the U.S. Supreme Court's 2019-2020 term. Click on the links below for more information about the cases.
- Kahler v. Kansas - Attorney for respondent
- Kansas v. Glover - Attorney for petitioner
- Kansas v. Garcia - Attorney for petitioner
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2006: U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas "Cause for Justice" Award[10]
Associations
- Earl E. O'Connor American Inn of Court
- The Federalist Society
- Johnson County Bar Association
- Kansas Bar Association
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
- Missouri Bar Association
- SOABS Association of Kansas Justices, Judges, and Lawyers[10]
About the court
| District of Kansas |
|---|
| Tenth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 6 |
| Judges: 3 |
| Vacancies: 3 |
| Judges |
| Chief: John Broomes |
| Active judges: John Broomes, Toby Crouse, Holly Lou Teeter Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the District of Kansas is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of courthouses in Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita.[11] When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit based in downtown Denver, Colorado, at the Byron White Federal Courthouse.
The District of Kansas has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The court's headquarters are in Wichita, with courthouses in Kansas City and Topeka.
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 District of Kansas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the District of Kansas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Congress.gov, "PN1920 — Toby Crouse — The Judiciary," accessed May 22, 2020
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," July 29, 2020
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," September 17, 2020
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominee," May 7, 2020
- ↑ WIBW, "KS Solicitor General nominated as federal judge," May 7, 2020
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, "Home page," accessed July 16, 2019
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the District of Kansas 2020-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
Thomas Parker • Elizabeth Branch • Neil Gorsuch • Amul Thapar • David C. Nye • John K. Bush • Kevin Newsom • Timothy J. Kelly • Ralph Erickson • Scott Palk • Trevor McFadden • Joan Larsen • Amy Coney Barrett • Allison Eid • Stephanos Bibas • Donald Coggins Jr. • Dabney Friedrich • Greg Katsas • Steven Grasz • Don Willett • James Ho • William L. Campbell Jr. • David Stras • Tilman E. Self III • Karen Gren Scholer • Terry A. Doughty • Claria Horn Boom • John Broomes • Rebecca Grady Jennings • Kyle Duncan • Kurt Engelhardt • Michael B. Brennan • Joel Carson • Robert Wier • Fernando Rodriguez Jr. • Annemarie Carney Axon • | ||
| 2018 |
Andrew Oldham • Amy St. Eve • Michael Scudder • John Nalbandian • Mark Bennett • Andrew Oldham • Britt Grant • Colm Connolly • Maryellen Noreika • Jill Otake • Jeffrey Beaverstock • Emily Coody Marks • Holly Lou Teeter • Julius Richardson • Charles B. Goodwin • Barry Ashe • Stan Baker • A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. • Terry F. Moorer • Susan Baxter • William Jung • Alan Albright • Dominic Lanza • Eric Tostrud • Charles Williams • Nancy E. Brasel • James Sweeney • Kari A. Dooley • Marilyn J. Horan • Robert Summerhays • Brett Kavanaugh • David Porter • Liles Burke • Michael Juneau • Peter Phipps • Lance Walker • Richard Sullivan • Eli Richardson • Ryan Nelson • Chad F. Kenney, Sr. • Susan Brnovich • William M. Ray, II • Jeremy Kernodle • Thomas Kleeh • J.P. Hanlon • Mark Norris • Jonathan Kobes • Michael Brown • David Counts | ||
| 2019 |
Eric Miller • Chad Readler • Eric Murphy • Neomi Rao • Paul Matey • Allison Jones Rushing • Bridget S. Bade • Roy Altman • Patrick Wyrick • Holly Brady • David Morales • Andrew Brasher • J. Campbell Barker • Rodolfo Ruiz • Daniel Domenico • Michael Truncale • Michael Park • Joseph Bianco • Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Daniel Collins • Joshua Wolson • Wendy Vitter • Kenneth Kiyul Lee • Kenneth Bell • Stephen Clark • Howard Nielson • Rodney Smith • Jean-Paul Boulee • Sarah Daggett Morrison • Rossie Alston • Pamela A. Barker • Corey Maze • Greg Guidry • Matthew Kacsmaryk • Allen Winsor • Carl Nichols • James Cain, Jr. • Tom Barber • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Clifton L. Corker • Peter Phipps • Daniel Bress • Damon Leichty • Wendy W. Berger • Peter Welte • Michael Liburdi • William Shaw Stickman • Mark Pittman • Karin J. Immergut • Jason Pulliam • Brantley Starr • Brian Buescher • James Wesley Hendrix • Timothy Reif • Martha Pacold • Sean Jordan • Mary Rowland • John M. Younge • Jeff Brown • Ada Brown • Steven Grimberg • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Steven Seeger • Stephanie Haines • Mary McElroy • David J. Novak • Frank W. Volk • Charles Eskridge • Rachel Kovner • Justin Walker • T. Kent Wetherell • Danielle Hunsaker • Lee Rudofsky • Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini • Steven Menashi • Robert J. Luck • Eric Komitee • Douglas Cole • John Sinatra • Sarah Pitlyk • Barbara Lagoa • Richard Myers II • Sherri Lydon • Patrick Bumatay • R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker • Anuraag Singhal • Karen Marston • Jodi Dishman • Mary Kay Vyskocil • Matthew McFarland • John Gallagher • Bernard Jones • Kea Riggs • Robert J. Colville • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Gary R. Brown • David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 |
Lawrence VanDyke • Daniel Traynor • John Kness • Joshua Kindred • Philip Halpern • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Scott Rash • John Heil • Anna Manasco • John L. Badalamenti • Drew Tipton • Andrew Brasher • Cory Wilson • Scott Hardy • David Joseph • Matthew Schelp • John Cronan • Justin Walker • Brett H. Ludwig • Christy Wiegand • Thomas Cullen • Diane Gujarati • Stanley Blumenfeld • Mark Scarsi • John Holcomb • Stephen P. McGlynn • Todd Robinson • Hala Jarbou • David Dugan • Iain D. Johnston • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Hinderaker • Roderick Young • Michael Newman • Aileen Cannon • James Knepp • Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson • Toby Crouse • Philip Calabrese • Taylor McNeel • Thomas Kirsch • Stephen Vaden • Katherine Crytzer • Fernando Aenlle-Rocha • Charles Atchley • Joseph Dawson | ||
| 2025 |
Whitney Hermandorfer • Joshua Divine • Cristian M. Stevens • Zachary Bluestone • Emil Bove • Edward Artau • Kyle Dudek | ||
