Author: Brittony Maag

  • Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for August 2021

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    In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies to all United States Article III federal courts from Aug. 2 to Sept. 1. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS Vacancies: There have been four new judicial vacancies since the July 2021 report. There…

  • SCOTUS adds two cases to its 2021-2022 term

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    The U.S. Supreme Court accepted two cases for review during its 2021-2022 term on Aug. 23. With the addition of these two cases, the court has granted review in a total of 33 cases for the term, which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 4.  Johnson v. Arteaga-Martinez concerns the right of non-citizens to a…

  • Seven applicants in the running for vacant Texas Supreme Court seat

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    Seven applicants are vying for an open seat on the Texas Supreme Court as of Aug. 18. The applicants are seeking to fill a vacancy on the court created when former Justice Eva Guzman stepped down on June 11 to run for Texas attorney general. Under Texas law, in the event of a midterm vacancy,…

  • Status of President Biden’s federal judicial nominees so far

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    President Joe Biden’s (D) most recent federal judicial nominations were submitted to the U.S. Senate on Aug. 5. The three new nominees are: Charlotte Sweeney, to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado Mary Dimke, to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington Beth Robinson, to the United…

  • President Biden has appointed the most federal judges through August 1 of a president’s first year

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    President Joe Biden (D) has appointed and the Senate has confirmed eight Article III federal judges through August 1 of his first year in office. This is the largest number of Article III judicial appointments through this point in all presidencies going back to President Ronald Reagan (R). The Senate had confirmed five of President…

  • Oklahoma Gov. Stitt appoints state supreme court justice

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    Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) appointed Dana Kuehn to the Oklahoma Supreme Court on July 26. The appointment filled a vacancy on the court caused by former Justice Tom Colbert’s retirement on Feb. 1. Kuehn is Stitt’s third nominee to the nine-member supreme court. Under Oklahoma law, state supreme court justices are selected by the…

  • New Mexico governor appoints Briana Zamora to fill vacancy on state supreme court

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    New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) appointed Briana Zamora to the New Mexico Supreme Court on July 16. The appointment filled a vacancy on the court caused by former Justice Barbara J. Vigil’s retirement on June 30. Zamora is Gov. Lujan Grisham’s fourth nominee to the five-member supreme court. Under New Mexico law, midterm…

  • U.S. Supreme Court releases October 2021 argument calendar

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    The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released the argument calendar for its October 2021 sitting on July 13. The court will begin hearing arguments for its 2021-2022 term on Oct. 4, with nine cases currently scheduled for oral argument during the month. Cases scheduled for the October sitting include: October 4 Mississippi v.…

  • Governors appoint new supreme court justices in two states

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    Alaska and Arizona have new state supreme court justices after appointments from their respective governors. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) appointed Jennifer Stuart Henderson to the Alaska Supreme Court on July 7, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) appointed Kathryn Hackett King to the Arizona Supreme Court on July 8. Alaska A seat on the…

  • Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for June 2021

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    In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies to all United States Article III federal courts from June 1 to July 1. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS Vacancies: There have been three new judicial vacancies since the May 2021 report. There…