Until a couple years ago people regularly described the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals - which covers Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolinas - as the nation's most conservative appeallate court. But then some of its jurists began retiring and the Fifth Circuit (Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi) started to attract greater attention for right-wing activism. It appears we are now on the brink of a major change in the Fourth Circuit. There were already four vacancies (out of fifteen seats on the Court - though President Obama has already nominated a federal judge in Maryland to fill one of those vacancies) and today we learn that there will be a fifth opening on the court as Chief Judge Karen Williams, who is only in her late 50s, will retire from the bench. More than any other federal court, the appeals court that covers this area is going to be remade through appointments by the Obama White House.
Posted by armand at July 9, 2009 08:44 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Law and the CourtsAnd if you had to pick one . . . after all, Virginia's going blue and all that . . . a welcome change. As for the Fifth, well, that might take a while to reform. :-)
Posted by: moon at July 9, 2009 09:58 AM | PERMALINKYeah all 3 of the biggest states in the Fourth voted for Obama. Only the 2 smallest backed McCain.
Apparently Williams has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. It's interesting that she is leaving a Court at a younger age than the first Obama nominee would join it. She's also younger than the Virginia Supreme Court justice (Barbara Milano Keenan) who that state's 2 senators have urged the president to appoint to the Fourth.
Posted by: Armand at July 9, 2009 05:07 PM | PERMALINK