Yet another Federal Circuit judge is stepping down from active duty on the court. On the day that Judge Rader becomes the new chief judge of hte court, Judge Haldane Robert Mayer has announced that he will take senior status effective June 30, 2010. Judge Mayer, 69, was a judge on the U.S. Claims Court when he was appointed by President Reagan to the Federal Circuit in 1987. He served as chief judge of the court 1997-2004.
This gives the court three vacancies. Judge Kathleen O’Malley and Edward DuMont have been nominated to fill the first two vacancies, but the Senate has yet to act on the nominations.
Five of the other nine judges on the court are or soon will be eligible for senior status. Who will be next? Unless the Senate picks up the pace, how will a nine judge court affect decisions?
July 26, 2010 at 10:06 am |
[...] It could take several weeks or months after Judge O’Malley’s hearing before the Senate gets around to voting on her confirmation. Meanwhile, more judges on the Federal Circuit continue to retire or take senior status. We’re still awaiting a nomination to replace the latest, Judge Mayer who took senior status on June 30. [...]