Monday, January 26, 2009

Barack Obama's first Texas judicial appointment

Crim Prof Blog points out that when Barack Obama took office, there were 55 vacant federal judicial seats awaiting his appointments. Only one is in Texas, created by the retirement of Judge W. Royal Furgeson, Jr., who began his legal career in El Paso and spent most of his judicial stint in Midland, before moving in 2003 to the San Antonio division of Texas' Western District. Furgeson took senior status late last year, and his is one of 18 seats that have been declared judicial emergencies.
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5 comments:

  1. Anonymous1/26/2009 12:02:00 PM

    Look out Bexar Adult probation Chief Bill Fitzgerald aka: "The Bully Fondler". I think cases are fixing to move much faster in the federal system, which is not a good thing for you. Hopefully, President Obama will put a new judge in place who doesn't tolerate Retaliation, Sexual Harassment and UNION BUSTING by an out of control tax payer-paid boss! You and all your administration had better save your paychecks for legal services, tax payers shouldn't foot the bill for any criminal acts.

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  2. Anonymous1/26/2009 03:33:00 PM

    Grits,
    Why so many? Also, Why as far back as 2006?

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  3. Gritsforbreakfast1/26/2009 04:53:00 PM

    3:33 - I think going back to 2006 because that's when Democrats took over the Senate and that body stopped rubberstamping Bush's judicial appointments. The failure of Democrats to support Bush's judicial nominees has been a contentious inside-the-beltway issue, so I'm sure that explains some of it.

    That said, there are 875 total federal judical slots nationwide, so I'm not sure 55 is that high to begin with. Furgeson only left the bench on Nov. 30 of last year.

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  4. Anonymous1/27/2009 11:51:00 AM

    Had Mr. Bush stopped trying to promote his "cronies" maybe there would not be the vacancies in the court system. Take Alberto Gonzales as an example, he was and is joined to Mr. Bush at the hip and watch what happens now that Mr. Bush is no longer in the White House and Mr. Gonzales was "kindly" asked to leave.

    Government should not be made of up of cronies and "you pat my back and I will pat your back."

    Hopefully, we will finally get a fair court sytem in not just Texas but the entire US.

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  5. Anonymous1/28/2009 10:18:00 PM

    So that's where Bexar County Probation Chief Fitzgerald learned the cronyism. Or did he start that back in Arizona?

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