District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission Report of Recommendations and Chief Judge Designations and Presidential Appointments to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia May 8, 1975 to September 30, 2013 INTRODUCTION On October 31, 2011, the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (“JNC” or “Commission”) published an historic report of JNC recommendations made to the President of the United States, Presidential appointments to the District of Columbia courts, and the JNC’s designations of the Chief Judges for those courts, with the commitment to update the report annually. The report relies on available records, including Congressional and District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission records, as well as notices published in the Daily Washington Law Reporter. This is the second annual update of the report. The Commission Chair, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, gives special recognition and expresses his appreciation to Executive Director Kim M. Whatley and Summer Intern Joseph R.A. Fruth for their tireless and meticulous efforts in researching and compiling the initial report, which spans forty years and encompasses the various branches of both the federal and District of Columbia governments. Judge Sullivan also expresses his appreciation to Addy Schmitt, Esquire, for first suggesting this project more than five years ago and devoting many hours since then to its completion, and to Executive Assistant Eunice Holt-Martin for her assistance and support in this endeavor. The District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia were established by Congress on July 29, 1970 (Public Law 91-358, 84 Stat. 473). The District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission was established by Congress on December 24, 1973 (Public Law 93-198, 87 Stat. 795). The JNC is composed of seven members—two appointed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia, two by the Board of Governors of the District of Columbia Bar Association (Unified), one by the Council of the District of Columbia, one by the President of the United States, and one judicial member appointed by the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Each member is appointed for a six-year term, except the member appointed by the President, who is appointed for a five-year term. The JNC works to provide the citizens of the District of Columbia with the best possible court system by (a) soliciting a diverse and talented pool of applicants for each judicial vacancy; (b) screening applicants to ensure they have the requisite experience, skill, temperament, and qualifications for judicial office; and (c) recommending the three most qualified applicants to the President of the United States for his or her consideration in selecting a nominee to fill each judicial vacancy on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The JNC also designates the Chief Judges of the District of Columbia courts for four-year terms. In creating this report, the authors have done their best to ensure accuracy and completeness. Nevertheless, in compiling more than four decades of data based on various sources of historical information, and limited in certain instances by a lack of available data, errors and omissions may have inadvertently been made. The Commission regrets any errors in this report, and asks that any such errors be brought to the Executive Director’s attention so that they may be corrected as soon as practicable. 1 JNC Commission Members Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, Chair Karl A. Racine, Esquire United States District Court Venable LLP for the District of Columbia 575 7th Street, NW United States Courthouse Washington, DC 20004 333 Constitution Avenue, NW (202) 344-8322 Washington, DC 20001 [email protected] (202) 354-3260 (Appointed by the District of Columbia Bar) [email protected] (Appointed by the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court) Rev. Morris L. Shearin, Sr. Israel Baptist Church Mr. William Lucy 1251 Saratoga Avenue, NE Vice President, AFL-CIO Washington, DC 20018 1831 Sudbury Lane, NW (202) 269-0288 Washington, DC 20012 [email protected] (301) 520-0576 (Appointed by the District of Columbia Council) [email protected] (Appointed by the District of Columbia Mayor) Grace E. Speights, Esquire Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Natalie O. Ludaway, Esquire 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Leftwich & Ludaway LLP Washington, DC 20004 1400 K Street, NW (202) 739-5189 Washington, DC 20005 [email protected] (202) 434-9103 (Appointed by the District of Columbia Bar) [email protected] (Appointed by the District of Columbia Mayor) JNC Staff Woody N. Peterson, Esquire JNC Executive Director Kim M. Whatley Dickstein Shapiro LLP JNC Executive Assistant Eunice Holt 1825 Eye Street, NW 515 5th Street, NW, Suite 235 Washington, DC 20006 Washington, DC 20001 (202) 420-2212 (202) 879-0478 [email protected] (Appointed by the President of the United States) 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS JNC Recommendations and Presidential Appointments to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ……………..4-6 JNC Chief Judge Designations for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ………………………………………….7 JNC Recommendations and Presidential Appointments to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia ………...8-22 JNC Chief Judge Designations for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia ……………………………………..23 3 JNC Recommendations and Presidential Appointments to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals (Court of Appeals) JUDGE/COURT REASON FOR DATE OF JNC JNC JUDICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS JUDICIAL JUDICIAL VACANCY RECOMMENDATIONS Hubert B. Pair1 Retired May 8, 1975 Wiley A. Branton Julia C. Mack, Court of Appeals Arthur L. Burnett appointed by President Ford Julia C. Mack Gerard D. Reilly2 Retired August 27, 1976 Vincent H. Cohen Theodore R. Newman, Jr., Court of Appeals Theodore R. Newman, Jr. appointed by President Ford J. Clay Smith Austin L. Fickling3 Deceased May 5, 1977 Sylvia A. Bacon John M. Ferren, Court of Appeals John M. Ferren appointed by President Carter Richard J. Medalie J. Walter Yeagley4 Retired March 21, 1979 William C. Pryor William C. Pryor, Court of Appeals Lawrence Speiser appointed by President Carter Paul R. Webber, III George R. Gallagher5 Retired March 29, 1981 James A. Belson James A. Belson, Court of Appeals Jesse W. Doolittle, Jr. appointed by President Reagan William C. Gardner Stanley S. Harris6 Retired March 6, 1982 Sylvia Bacon John A. Terry, Court of Appeals Jesse W. Doolittle, Jr. appointed by President Reagan John A. Terry Catherine B. Kelly7 Retired April 29, 1983 Zona F. Hostetler Judith W. Rogers, Court of Appeals Daniel R. Ohlbaum appointed by President Reagan Judith W. Rogers John W. Kern, III8 Retired June 15, 1984 Andrew L. Frey9 John M. Steadman, Court of Appeals John T. Rich appointed by President Reagan John M. Steadman 1 Hubert Pair was appointed in 1970 by President Nixon. 2 Gerard Reilly was appointed in 1970 by President Nixon and designated Chief Judge on July 24, 1972 by President Nixon. 3 Austin Fickling was appointed in 1967 by President Johnson. 4 J. Walter Yeagley was appointed in 1970 by President Nixon. 5 George Gallagher was appointed in 1967 by President Johnson. 6 Stanley Harris was appointed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in 1970 by President Nixon and to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in 1972 by President Nixon. 7 Catherine Kelly was appointed in 1967 by President Johnson. 8 John Kern was appointed in 1968 by President Johnson. 9 Andrew Frey was nominated, but his nomination was returned to the President by Congress. 4 JUDGE/COURT REASON FOR DATE OF JNC JNC JUDICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS JUDICIAL JUDICIAL VACANCY RECOMMENDATIONS Frank Q. Nebeker10 Retired September 9, 1987 Frederick B. Abramson Frank E. Schwelb, Court of Appeals Clarice R. Feldman appointed by President Reagan Frank E. Schwelb William C. Pryor Retired November 9, 1988 Michael W. Farrell Michael W. Farrell, Court of Appeals Henry F. Greene appointed by President George H.W. Bush Elizabeth Rindskopf Julia C. Mack Retired October 6, 1989 Henry F. Greene Annice M. Wagner, Court of Appeals Noël A. Kramer appointed by President George H.W. Bush Annice M. Wagner Theodore R. Newman Retired March 20, 1991 Warren R. King Warren R. King, Court of Appeals Noël A. Kramer appointed by President George H.W. Bush J. Clay Smith, Jr. James A. Belson Retired July 22, 1991 Inez Smith Reid Emmet G. Sullivan, Court of Appeals Vanessa Ruiz appointed by President George H.W. Bush Emmet G. Sullivan Judith W. Rogers Appointed to U.S. May 13, 1994 Inez Smith Reid Vanessa Ruiz, Court of Appeals Court of Appeals for Vanessa Ruiz appointed by President Clinton the D.C. Circuit Susan R. Winfield Emmet G. Sullivan Appointed to U.S. December 19, 1994 Erias A. Hyman Inez Smith Reid, Court of Appeals District Court for D.C. Michael L. Rankin appointed by President Clinton Inez Smith Reid John M. Ferren Retired November 20, 1997 Emilio W. Cividanes11 Stephen H. Glickman, Court of Appeals Stephen H. Glickman appointed by President Clinton Michael L. Rankin Warren R. King Retired October 20, 1998 Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. Eric T. Washington, Court of Appeals Edwin E. Huddleson, III appointed by President Clinton Eric T. Washington John M. Steadman Retired September 28, 2004 John R. Fisher Noël A. Kramer,12 Court of Appeals Noël A. Kramer appointed by President George W. Bush Roslyn A. Mazer Annice M. Wagner Retired April 7, 2005 Anna Blackburne-Rigsby John R. Fisher,13 Court of Appeals Neal E. Kravitz appointed by President George W. Bush Phyllis D. Thompson 10 Frank Nebeker was appointed in 1969 by President Nixon. 11 Emilio Cividanes was nominated, but his nomination was returned to the President by Congress.