After Senate Confirms First Local D.C. Judge This Congress, Norton Calls for Passage of Her Bill to Eliminate Senate Confirmation Requirement for D.C. Judges

Statement

After the Senate today confirmed the first local District of Columbia judge this Congress, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) called on Congress to pass her bill to eliminate the Senate confirmation requirement for local D.C. judges. The local D.C. courts are facing an unprecedented vacancy crisis, which is harming public safety and access to justice, because Republicans had prevented the Senate from confirming any local D.C. court nominees this Congress until Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) filed cloture on seven local D.C. judges last month. The Senate is expected to confirm six additional local D.C. judges this week.

"I am pleased the Senate confirmed the first local D.C. judge today," Norton said. "However, the deficiencies of this system, which requires D.C. to wait for congressional action to staff its own local courts, have long been apparent and are contributing to a decline in public safety. My bill to eliminate the requirement for local D.C. judges to be confirmed by the Senate passed in a House committee in December, and justice requires it to be passed by Congress and signed into law as soon as possible."

Norton's District of Columbia Courts Vacancy Reduction Act would allow judicial appointments to the local D.C. courts to take effect after a 30-day congressional review period, unless a joint resolution disapproving an appointment is enacted into law during that period. The bill would make the congressional review process for appointments the same as the one currently used for legislation passed by the D.C. Council. The bill passed the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in December.

Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, D.C. judges are appointed by the President, subject to Senate confirmation. The president appoints a nominee from one of three candidates submitted by the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission. If the president does not appoint one of the candidates within 60 days, the commission is required to appoint one of the candidates, subject to Senate confirmation.

After today's confirmation, there are 15 vacancies out of 62 authorized judges on D.C.'s trial court, the Superior Court. There are three vacancies out of nine authorized judges on D.C.'s appeals court, the Court of Appeals.

Source