TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Amelia Ferrell Knisely on Mar 16, 2016

President Barack Obama today nominated Judge Merrick Garland, 63, to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Garland, chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, was considered for previous vacant Supreme Court seats. As President Bill Clinton's pick, he was confirmed to the D.C. court in 1997 with a 76-23 Senate vote. His experience prior to the bench includes leading the investigation into and prosecution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. CNN reports Senate Republicans do not plan to have hearings on Garland, but the president encouraged the Senate to not treat Garland like a “political piñata.” Tennessee's Republican U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker today again suggested that the next president should fill the Supreme Court vacancy, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports