Gov. Ed Rendell says he will not renominate the four candidates who were rejected by the Senate last week to fill temporary openings on the state appellate courts.
Instead, he said Thursday he will send the names of new candidates to the Senate as early as next week. He would not say in advance who they are.
Rendell also would not say whether the new candidates will include any minorities, as the Legislative Black Caucus has requested, but said he would not sacrifice quality for diversity.
The Republicans who voted against Rendell’s nominees complained that he had not considered their opinion on whom he should pick.
A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is necessary to confirm a judicial nominee.
Source: Pennlive.com
Filed under: Judicial Nominations, Pennsylvania Courts
October 13, 2007 • 2:42 am
The Legal Intelligencer reported today that President Bush is set to nominate Judge Gene E.K. Pratter of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennnsylvania to a vacant seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The Legal suggests that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter’s preferred candidate for the Third Circuit appointment, Reed Smith partner Carolyn Short, was passed over due to her husband’s status as a prominent Democrat with close ties to, among others, Governor Ed Rendell. Whatever the inside baseball political games involved, I will offer my opnion that Judge Pratter is immensely qualified for a seat on the Third Circuit and will be an outstanding addition to the court. I had the pleasure of working with Judge Pratter while she was at Duane Morris. While she almost certainly does not remember our interaction, I most certainly do. I am now, as I was then, impressed with her intellect and her commitment to the law. It is my hope that the Senate will act promptly on Judge Pratter’s anticipated nomination and confirm her with all due speed.
Filed under: Judicial Nominations, Third Circuit
