Eastern District of Missouri Judge John Ross will assume senior status in June 2023

[In It to Win It]

John P. Collins
@prof_jpc

Eastern District of Missouri Judge John Ross will assume senior status in June 2023, creating a third future vacancy on the 9-member court. All three retiring judges were appointed by Democrats. With two Republican Senators (one of which is Josh Hawley), there are no nominees.

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Blue slips are still used for district court judges. That has left some opening in red-states, like Missouri.

[rsdsharp]

1. When Grassley was chair of the judiciary committee

he ignored the blue slip “rule” when it suited his fancy.

[OnDoutside]

2. They should follow the "Grassley Rule" then....

[LAS14]

3. I don't understand this bit.

"With two Republican Senators (one of which is Josh Hawley), there are no nominees."

Could someone explain?

tia
las

[In It to Win It]

4. Because of the "blue slip" rule, home state senators can effectively have veto power

in the Senate when a nominee will be in their home state.

If Biden nominates someone to a US District Court in Missouri, Josh Hawley and Roy Blunt (the two Republican senators from Missouri) will hand in their blue slips, effectively vetoing a nominee that will be stationed in a US District Court based in Missouri.

It's the same reason that my home state of Florida has 4 vacancies on the US District Courts here with no nominees.

They can get nominees through quicker if they focus on states where they don't have to deal with a blue slip "veto."

[LAS14]

5. Wo! That sucks. Thanks to you and to DU in general for hosting so many smart people!! nt

[In It to Win It]

6. It doesn't have to suck

Democrats can choose to ignore blue slips. Blue slips are a courtesy to the home state senators.

Republicans ignored blue slips from Democrats for the circuit courts. Democrats can do that with the district courts.

[LAS14]

8. Ah!! Really important detail here! Thanks! nt

[xmas74]

7. It's about to get worse with Blunt retiring

Schmitt is just as awful as Hawley.