TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

U.S. Attorney Ritz Confirmed to 6th Circuit Court of Appeals

Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Sep 17, 2024
News Type: Congressional News

U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz of Memphis was confirmed to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Monday in a 48-46 vote by the U.S. Senate. The Daily Memphian reports that Ritz, nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden in March, succeeds Judge Julia Gibbons of Memphis on the panel of 29 judges who hear appeals from federal district courts in Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Gibbons is taking senior status on the court. According to the Commercial Appeal, Ritz, who was born and raised in Memphis, began working in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee in 2005, holding a number of positions including appellate chief, criminal appellate chief and special counsel. As U.S. attorney, he led the federal criminal case against five Memphis police officers charged with violating Tyre Nichols' civil rights, was part of the announcement that the Justice Department had launched a pattern-or-practice investigation into the Memphis Police Department and brought a new program to Memphis that targets organized crime. Tennessee's Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty voted against Ritz's confirmation. Blackburn detailed her opposition during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings in April. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, praised the Senate vote in a post-confirmation social media post.

Law-Related Blogs AND PODCASTS

Check out other law-related blogs and podcasts generated from the Tennessee legal community or of interest to the Tennessee lawyers.