Litigation

President Resubmits Judicial Nominees

By Nancy Palencia

President Obama has renominated Louis Butler and Edward Chen, two  controversial candidates for federal district judgeships.

Butler was one of seven Obama nominees for various offices who failed to gain Senate approval before the chamber adjourned in 2009. The Wall Street Journal reported that ?sending the names back signaled GOP opposition to the nominees.?

Butler and Chen will face a new challenge in the Senate this time around. Scott Brown?s win in Massachusetts brought the total number of Senate Republicans to 41, making it impossible for the Democrats alone to block a potential filibuster without some help from the other party.

Butler, who was knocked off the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a bitter 2008 election, has been criticized by the Journal as too liberal on product-liability cases. He has been nominated to be a federal district judge in Wisconsin.

Chen, a federal magistrate judge, also stands to have a difficult confirmation battle. Although he would be the first Asian American federal judge in the Northern District of California, Chen has been criticized for statements on the benefit of judicial diversity and his 16 years of work as an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union.

To learn more about these nominations,  click here.

Full post as published by The Gavel on January 22, 2010 (boomark / email).