Showing posts with label robert scola. Show all posts
Showing posts with label robert scola. Show all posts

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Chief Judge starts letter writing campaign for Kathy Williams and Bob Scola

Congrats to Bob Scola, who received a unanimous voice vote today getting out of the judiciary committee.

Now, Chief Judge Moreno has written letters to Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Harry Reid urging confirmation by the full Senate of Kathy Williams and Bob Scola before the August recess. The intro from the letters:


As Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, I urge you to expedite the Senate's confirmation of Kathleen Williams and Robert Scola to the positions of district judges in our district. I understand that the Judiciary Committee has sent both nominations by unanimous voice vote and is awaiting a vote by the full Senate. Ms. Williams, our district's Federal Public Defender, has been awaiting confirmation for the longest period of any present nominee to the district court in the entire country. State Judge Robert Scola's nomination is of a more recent vintage but the litigants are eagerly awaiting his confirmation.

The judgeship Ms. Williams has been nominated to fill has been vacant for two years! At the present time, our district has three vacancies. Unfilled positions in our Court present an undue hardship on the citizens residing in the Southern District of Florida, particularly those with cases pending in the affected division of the Court. Our district is huge and heavily populated. It includes the most populous counties in Florida, Miami-Dade, Broward (where Fort Lauderdale is located) and Palm Beach Counties. The district also includes Monroe, St. Lucie, Highlands, Okeechobee, Martin, and Indian River Counties.

Now it's our turn. Please follow Judge Moreno's lead and send letters now to get Williams and Scola confirmed.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Bob Scola tapped to fill Judge Huck's seat



Although it's not official yet, a number of reliable tipsters have emailed me that Circuit Judge Robert Scola Jr. is being vetted to fill Judge Huck's seat. Remember that Scola, along with Jerald Bagley and John O'Sullivan made the JNC's cut to three. Now, the White House is apparently doing its background on Judge Scola. Congratulations!



Judge Scola should have no issues fitting in -- he's close friends with many of the federal judges, including Chief Judge Moreno and Judge Huck. From his bio page:




■Bachelor of Arts, Brown University, 1977
■JD, Boston College School of Law, 1980
■Honors - Cum Laude
■Admitted to Florida Bar, 1980
■Circuit Court Judge, 1995
■Previous Division - Circuit/Criminal
■Private Practice - Criminal Defense, 1986-1995
■Assistant State Attorney, Deputy Chief Assistant/Major Crimes, 1980-1986

Scola has an excellent reputation on the state bench, and he is a great addition to the federal bench. Now let's see if we can get Kathy Williams and Bob Scola confirmed before the end of the year. Plus, there is still one more seat to fill -- Judge Gold's seat. The JNC has not yet solicited applications for that slot.


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

BREAKING -- SHORT LIST ANNOUNCED FOR FEDERAL JUDGE

That was fast -- the list is out:

Kathy Williams
Jerald Bagley
Robert Scola

Congrats to those three.

Tomorrow, we'll find out who makes the U.S. Attorney short list.