Press Release

November 10, 2011
CARDIN STATEMENT ON NOMINATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT IN MARYLAND

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a former member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the announcement that the President intends to nominate Judge George Russell to the United States District Court:

“Judge George Russell is an eminently qualified jurist who I supported to fill the upcoming vacancy on the United States District Court created by Judge Ben Legg, who announced his intention to take senior status in Baltimore in 2012. I was equally supportive of the nomination of U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day to fill the vacancy left when Judge Peter Messitte took senior status nearly three years ago in Greenbelt. Judge Day is an exceptional jurist with 15 years experience as a magistrate and a wealth of involvement with our local community.

“It was upsetting that for more than a year and a half, Republicans blocked Judge Day from having a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and then that his nomination was withdrawn by President Obama.  Judge Day would have served the people of Maryland well on the District Court. I did not support the withdrawal of his nomination – the result of a troubling pattern of how the Republicans are treating President Obama’s nominations. I am disappointed by the events that led President Obama to switch course and name Judge Russell to fill the existing Messitte vacancy rather than the Legg vacancy.”

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