Of the Legal Staff
Four nominees for seats on the federal bench in Pennsylvania are among the 33 people that President Obama has re-nominated for seats across the country during the 113th Congress, which was sworn in today.
Among those who have been re-nominated is Patty Shwartz, a magistrate judge in the District of New Jersey, who was first nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit more than a year ago.
The other three for seats in Pennsylvania are Nitza Quinones Alejandro, Luis Felipe Restrepo and Jeffrey Schmehl. Obama nominated the trio to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in November. That court has another three seats sitting empty with no nominees, making a total of six empty seats in the district.
At the end of December, the Senate confirmed two judges for seats in the Middle District of Pennsylvania that had been empty for years.
“Today, I am re-nominating 33 highly qualified candidates for the federal bench, including many who could have and should have been confirmed before the Senate adjourned,” Obama said in a press release. “Several have been awaiting a vote for more than six months, even though they all enjoy bipartisan support. I continue to be grateful for their willingness to serve and remain confident that they will apply the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity. I urge the Senate to consider and confirm these nominees without delay, so all Americans can have equal and timely access to justice.”
Saranac Hale Spencer can be contacted at 215-557-2449 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @SSpencerTLI.
Recent Comments