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Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count 2/13/2013
February 13, 2013
- For a District by District break down, see: Federal Court Vacancy Warning System
The vacancy warning level for the U.S. District courts is currently set at Yellow. There was one new vacancy this past week, leaving the final tally at 88 vacancies or approximately 10.1% of the total Article III posts currently unfilled. The vacancy information for the various court levels is as follows:
| Key: | |
| (Percentage of seats vacant.) | |
| 0% | 1%-9% |
| 10%-24% | 25%-40% |
| More than 40% | |
| Supreme Court | 0% or no vacancies |
| Appeals Courts | 10.6% or 19 vacancies |
| District Courts | 10.1% or 69 vacancies |
There are currently 9 Supreme Court posts, 179 appellate court posts and 680 district court posts for a total of 868 Article III judges. This count includes four temporary posts, one each in the Northern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Southern District of Florida and the Central District of California. This also includes two shared post between the two Missouri districts and the two Kentucky districts, which count as two posts with separate vacancies.
Weekly map
The new weekly map feature will be updated every week and posted here and on the vacancy warning level analysis page.
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New confirmations
There were no new nominations this past week.
New vacancies
D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
On February 12, 2013, David Sentelle assumed senior status for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after serving on the court for 25 years.[1] Sentelle first joined the court on September 11, 1987, after an appointment from Ronald Reagan. Sentelle served as the Chief Judge of the D.C. Circuit from 2008 until 2013. At the time of his appointment he was a judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. He joined that court on October 17, 1985, after an appointment from Ronald Reagan. Born in Canton, North Carolina, Sentelle graduated from University of North Carolina with his bachelor's degree in 1965 and later from University of North Carolina School of Law with his Juris Doctor, J.D. degree in 1968.[2] The transition to senior status creates the fourth vacancy on the court of eleven, leaving the vacancy warning level unchanged at Orange.
New nominations
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
On February 7, 2013, President Barack Obama appointed two new members to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Obama commented on the nomination stating, "Raymond T. Chen and Todd M. Hughes have displayed exceptional dedication to public service throughout their careers. I am honored to nominate them today to serve the American people on the United States Court of Appeals. I am confident that they will be judicious and esteemed additions to the Federal Circuit."[3]
President Obama nominated Raymond Chen to fill the vacancy left by Richard Linn.[4] Chen is currently the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He earned his B.S. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1990, majoring in electrical engineering. He went on to earn his J.D. from the New York University School of Law in 1994.[3]
President Obama nominated Todd Hughes to fill the vacancy left by William Bryson.[4] Hughes is currently the Deputy Director of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division at the United States Department of Justice. He also currently serves as an adjunct lecturer in law with the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and as an instructor for Duke University’s writing program. He earned his A.B. from Harvard in 1989. He went on to earn his J.D. from Duke University in 1992. He earned a joint M.A. at the same time in English.[3]
See also
Footnotes
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