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===[[c2013#September|September 25, 2013]]===
'''By [[User:CCollins|Courtney Collins]]'''
The [[Federal Court Vacancy Warning System|vacancy warning level]] remains at <span style="background-color:#ffff66;">yellow</span> this week after one new confirmation by the U.S. {{BP|Senate}}, lowering the vacancy percentage to 10.5%. There were eight new nominations this week bringing the total number of nominations waiting for confirmation to 49. There were no transitions to [[senior status]] in the past week, allowing the total number of vacancies of [[Article III]] judges to fall to 91 out of 865. A breakdown of the vacancies on each level can be found in the table below. For a more detailed look at the vacancies on the federal courts, see our [[Federal Court Vacancy Warning System]].
===Example tables===
{|style="border: 1px solid black;" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0" bgcolor=#000000
|-
|bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center"|Court
|bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center"|# of Seats
|bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center"|Vacancies
|-
|-
|bgcolor="#ffffff"|[[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]
|bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center"|9
|bgcolor="#66ff00"|0% or no vacancies
|-
|bgcolor="#ffffff"|[[United States court of appeals|Appeals Courts]]
|bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center"|179
|bgcolor="#00ccff"|8.9% or 16 vacancies
|-
|bgcolor="#ffffff"|[[United States district court|District Courts]]
|bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center"|677
|bgcolor="#ffff66"|11.1% or 75 vacancies
|-
|bgcolor="#ffffff"|[[Article III|All Judges]]
|bgcolor="#ffffff" align="center"|865
|bgcolor="#ffff66"|10.5% or 91 vacancies
|}
==New confirmations==
====Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit====
{|
|-
|On September 24, 2013, [[Todd Hughes]] was confirmed by the {{BP|Senate}} on a 98-0 vote. Hughes, who worked for the U.S. Department of Justice from 1994 to the time of his confirmation, became the first openly gay judge for a federal appeals court. Michael Cole-Schwartz, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign a gay rights group, had this to say about the confirmation, {{Quote|Judge Hughes is an eminently qualified nominee who will happen to shatter a barrier as the first openly gay federal appellate court judge... It’s a testament to how far we have come as a country that his sexual orientation is irrelevant to his ability to serve on our nation’s courts.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-confirms-todd-m-hughes-as-first-openly-gay-federal-appeals-judge/2013/09/24/c63c25fc-252b-11e3-ad0d-b7c8d2a594b9_story.html ''Washington Post'', "Senate confirms Todd M. Hughes as first openly gay federal appeals judge," September 24, 2013]</ref>}}
This confirmation leaves no vacancies on the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]], changing its warning level from <span style="background-color:#00ccff;">blue</span> to <span style="background-color:#66ff00;">green</span>.
|{{Green VWL}}
|}
==New vacancies==
There were no new vacancies this past week.
==New nominations==
This week President [[Barack Obama]] issued nominations for eight new judges. The break down of those nominations are, four for the [[District of Arizona]], one for the [[Southern District of California]], one for the [[Eastern District of Washington]], one for the [[District of Maine]], and one for the [[Northern District of Illinois]]. The President had this to say about the nominations, {{Quote|These men and women have had distinguished legal careers and I am honored to ask them to continue their work as judges on the federal bench... They will serve the American people with integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice.<ref name=nomination>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/09/19/president-obama-nominates-eight-serve-united-states-district-courts ''White House'', "President Obama Nominates Eight to Serve on the United States District Courts," September 19, 2013]</ref>}}
===District of Arizona===
====Douglas Rayes====
{|
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|On September 19, 2013, [[Douglas Rayes]] was nominated to a seat on the [[United States District Court for the District of Arizona]] by President [[Barack Obama]]. The seat was vacated [[Frederick Martone]] when he took [[senior status]]. Rayes who is currently a [[Maricopa County Superior Court, Arizona|Maricopa County Superior Court]] judge, and has held that position since 2000. His previous experience includes being a JAG officer for the U.S. Army as well as being a partner at the firms of ''Tryon, Heller & Rayes'' and ''McGroder, Tryon, Heller & Rayes''. Rayes earned his B.S., ''cum laude'', from Arizona State University in 1975. He earned his [[J.D.]], ''cum laude'', in 1978 from the Arizona State University School of Law.<ref name=bio>[http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/JudicialBiographies/Judges/judicialBio.asp?jdgID=59&jdgUSID=161 ''Superior Court of Maricopa County'', "Judge Douglas Rayes," accessed September 23, 2013]</ref> Senator {{BP|John McCain}} said this about the Arizona nominations, {{Quote|The nominees to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona have demonstrated devotion to public service and commitment to justice, and I believe they are uniquely qualified to address the legal issues facing our state... The recent judicial vacancies in Arizona have created an unsustainable situation for the Court and are a serious impediment to the administration of justice for the people of Arizona. The need to fill these vacancies is critical as the District of Arizona ranks as one of the top ten busiest district courts in the country.<ref name=AZ>[http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20130918obama-nominates-arizonans-fill-us-district-court-vacancies.html?nclick_check=1 ''Arizona Central'', "Obama nominates 4 Arizonans to fill U.S. District Court vacancies," September 19, 2013]</ref>}}
|{{Red VWL}}
|}
====Steven Logan====
{|
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|[[Steven Logan]] is a [[federal magistrate judge]] was nominated to [[United States District Court for the District of Arizona]] by President [[Barack Obama]] on September 19, 2013. Logan, who has served as a [[federal magistrate judge]] for the [[United States District Court for the District of Arizona]] since 2012, also has experience as Immigration Judge, Assistant U.S. Attorney and as Military Judge for the U.S. Marine Corps. During his time in the Marine Corps, Logan served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star and Combat Action Ribbon.<ref name=nomination/> Logan earned his B.S. from the University of Louisville in 1988 and his [[J.D.]] from University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1992.
|{{Red VWL}}
|}
====Diane Humetewa====
{|
|-
|[[Diane Humetewa]] is a professor at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Conner School of Law and was nominated by President [[Barack Obama]] to a seat on the [[United States District Court for the District of Arizona]]. The nomination came on September 19, 2013 to fill a seat vacated by [[Mary Murguia]], who was elevated to the [[Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals]] on January 3, 2011. If confirmed, Humetewa would become the first active female tribal member to be appointed a federal court.<ref name=AZ/> Her prior experience includes, Counsel for ''Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP'', U.S. Attorney for the [[District of Arizona]] and Deputy Counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Humetewa earned her B.A. from Arizona State University in 1987 and she earned her [[J.D.]] from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Conner School of Law in 1993. The President of the National Native American Bar Association, Mary Smith, had this to say about her nomination, {{Quote|NNNABA applauds President Obama for the historic nomination of Diane Humetewa to the federal bench in Arizona. Ms. Humetewa’s stellar career,including her position as a federal prosecutor, will serve her well as the first female Native American ever appointed to the federal judiciary and the only American Indian in the federal judiciary.<ref>[http://turtletalk.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/nnaba-press-release-on-diane-humetewa-nomination/ ''Turtle Talk'', "NNABA Press Release on Diane Humetewa Nomination," September 19, 2013]</ref>}}
|{{Red VWL}}
|}
====John Tuchi====
{|
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|[[John Tuchi]] is an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the [[District of Arizona]] and was nominated on September 19, 2013, by President [[Barack Obama]] to a seat on the [[United States District Court for the District of Arizona]]. The seat was vacated by [[Roslyn Silver]] who took senior status on September 3, 2013. Tuchi has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1998, during his time with the U.S. Attorney's office he has served as Chief of the Criminal Division, Interim U.S. Attorney, Senior Litigation Counsel and Tribal Liaison and Chief Assistant Attorney. His other experience is as an Associate for ''Brown & Bain, P.A.'' and as a Law Clerk for [[William Canby]]. Tuchi earned his B.S. from the University of West Virginia in 1987 and his master's degree from the University of Arizona in 1989. In 1994, he earned his [[J.D.]] from the Arizona State University School of Law. The President of the National Congress of American Indiana, Jefferson Keel, had this to say about Tuchi's nomination, {{Quote|John Tuchi is highly qualified and has a strong record of upholding the trust responsibility to tribal nations.<ref>[https://turtletalk.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/ncai-press-release-in-support-of-diane-humetewa-and-john-tuchi-federal-judicial-nominations/ '''Turtle Talk'', "NCAI Press Release in Support of Diane Humetewa and John Tuchi Federal Judicial Nominations," September 20, 2013]</ref>}}
|{{Red VWL}}
|}
===District of Maine===
====Jon Levy====
{|
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|On September 19, 2013, [[Jon Levy]] was nominated to a seat on the [[United States District Court for the District of Maine]] by President [[Barack Obama]]. The seat was vacated by [[George Singal]] when he took [[senior status]]. Levy was recommended, along with [[William Kayatta]], for a vacancy on the [[First Circuit Court of Appeals]] in 2011. [[William Kayatta|Kayatta]] went on to gain confirmation to the [[First Circuit Court of Appeals]] and Levy continued to serve on the [[Maine Supreme Judicial Court]] where he has served since 2002. His other experience includes being a judge on the [[Maine District Courts]], 13 years in private practice and clerking for [[John Copenhaver]]. Levy earned his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University in 1976 and his [[J.D.]] from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1979. A joint statement by Senator {{BP|Susan Collins}} and Senator {{BP|Angus King}} has this to say about Levy, {{Quote|During his long and distinguished career as both an attorney and a judge, Jon has had a significant impact on the Maine judicial system by virtue of his intelligence and service to the court... Jon’s qualifications and contributions to the Maine legal community make him an ideal candidate for this judgeship. His nomination deserves bipartisan support, and we look forward to introducing Jon to our colleagues in the Senate as soon as possible.<ref>[http://bangordailynews.com/2013/09/19/news/state/maine-supreme-court-justice-levy-nominated-to-replace-singal-on-federal-bench/ ''Bangor Daily News'', "Maine supreme court Justice Levy nominated to replace Singal on federal bench," September 19, 2013]</ref>}}
|{{Orange VWL}}
|}
===Northern District of Illinois===
====Manish Shah====
{|
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|[[Manish Shah]] is a Assistant U.S. Attorney for the [[Northern District of Illinois]] and was nominated by President [[Barack Obama]] to the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois]] on September 19, 2013. The seat was vacated by [[Joan Lefkow]] who took [[senior status]] on September 1, 2012. Shah's experience includes 12 years with the U.S. Attorney's office where he served as Chief of the Criminal Division, Chief of Criminal Appeals, Deputy Chief of the Financial Crimes & Special Prosecutions Section and Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Section. He was also a clerk for the Honorable [[James B. Zagel]] and an associate for '' Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe''. Shah earned his B.A., with honors and distinction, from Stanford University in 1994 and his [[J.D.]], with honors, from the University of Chicago School of Law. Senator {{BP|Dick Durbin}} said this about his nomination, {{Quote|Manish Shah has served with distinction as an Assistant US Attorney, and he will bring a wealth of knowledge and legal acumen to the federal bench in Northern Illinois.<ref>[http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/obama-nominates-indian-american-s-district-court-judge-13667.html ''India TV News'', "Obama nominates Indian American s district court judge," September 20, 2013]</ref>}}
|{{Yellow VWL}}
|}
===Eastern District of Washington===
====Stanley Bastian====
{|
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|[[Stanley Bastian]], the managing partner for ''Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn & Aylward, P.S.'' was nominated by President [[Barack Obama]] to a seat on the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington]]. The seat was vacated by [[Edward Shea]] when he took senior status on June 7, 2012. Bastian's past experience includes being an Assistant City Attorney for the city of Seattle, Law clerk for the Honorable Ward Williams and an Associate for ''Bergman & Bauer''. He has also been the president of the Washington Bar Association and a chair for the Equal Justice Coalition.<ref name=nomination/> Bastian earn his B.S. from the University of Oregon in 1980 and his [[J.D.]] from the University of Washington School of Law in 1983. [[Edward Shea]] commented about his successor saying, {{Quote|“I think Stan Bastian has had a distinguished career as an attorney and has served the (Washington State) Bar as well as president (of the bar)... He’s an outstanding choice by the president. … I look forward to working with him.<ref>[http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/09/19/2582618/wenatchee-lawyer-named.html ''Tri-City Herald'', "Wenatchee lawyer named to replace judge on Richland federal bench," September 19, 2013]</ref>}}
|{{Yellow VWL}}
|}
===Southern District of California===
====Cynthia A. Bashant====
{|
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|On September 19, 2013, [[Cynthia A. Bashant]] was nominated by President [[Barack Obama]] to a seat on the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of California]] that was vacated by [[Irma Gonzalez]]. Bashant is currently a judge for the [[Superior Court of San Diego County, California]] where she has been since 2000. Her other experience includes working as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the [[Southern District of California]] and an associate for ''Baker & McKenzie'' and ''Macdonald, Halsted & Laybourne''. Bashant earned her A.B. from Smith College in 1982 and her [[J.D.]] from the University of California's Hastings College of the Law in 1986. Carl Tobias, a professor and tracker of judicial nominations, had this to say about Bashant's nomination, {{Quote|Her record is similar to a number of other well-qualified, consensus Superior Court judges who Obama has appointed to the California federal bench.<ref>[http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/sep/21/judicial-openings-san-diego-bench/ ''U-T San Diego'', "Want to be a judge? San Diego has openings," September 21, 2013]</ref>}}
|{{Blue VWL}}
|}
==Weekly map==
The new weekly map feature will be updated every week and posted here and on the [[vacancy warning level]] analysis page.
<table width="99%"><tr><td><imagemap>
Image:Vwlmap9-25-2013.png|left|600px
rect 607 477 797 589 [[Federal Court Vacancy Warning System|Forward]]
rect 2 472 197 595 [[Federal Courts, Empty Benches: The Wednesday Vacancy Count 9/18/2013#Weekly map|Back]]
desc none
</imagemap></td></tr></table>
==See also==
* [[United States federal courts]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{donate}}
<htmlet>judgepedia signup</htmlet>
{{State news}}
[[Category:September 2013]]
[[Category:Federal court news, 2013]]
[[Category:Empty benches news]]
[[category:2013 judicial news]]
[[Category:Arizona 2013 news]]
[[Category:Illinois 2013 news]]
[[Category:Washington 2013 news]]
[[Category:California 2013 news]]