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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Wed May 14, 2014, 08:11 PM May 2014

Senate confirms first Native woman federal judge

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOENIX (AP) — A former U.S. Attorney from Arizona will be the first Native American woman to serve on the federal bench.

Diane Humetewa (hoo-mee-TAY’-wah) easily won confirmation Wednesday in the U.S. Senate in a 96-0 vote. She will fill one of six vacancies in the federal District Court of Arizona.

Humetewa currently serves as special counsel at Arizona State University, where she is also a professor. She served as U.S. Attorney for Arizona between 2007 and 2009. She also was an appellate court judge for the Hopi Tribe.

The National Congress of American Indians praised the confirmation, saying Humetewa has dedicated her time to serving the interests of Native peoples.

The overburdened District Court of Arizona remains one of the busiest in the country, having declared a judicial emergency in 2011.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2014/05/14/senate_confirms_first_native_woman_federal_judge/

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Senate confirms first Native woman federal judge (Original Post) DonViejo May 2014 OP
Well, Congratulations Diane Humetewa! Cha May 2014 #1
That's beautiful! yellerpup May 2014 #2
There have been a lot of barriers broken since 2008. iandhr May 2014 #3
Diane Humetewa sheshe2 May 2014 #4
The first? awoke_in_2003 May 2014 #5
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe May 2014 #6
Good for Obama, excellent pick. Hope she chooses to serve a very long time... n/t freshwest May 2014 #7
District Court Judges are picked by their State's Senator happyslug May 2014 #9
k and r for something that has been a long time coming. niyad May 2014 #8
Definitely notable. nt BootinUp May 2014 #10
U.S. Attorney 2007-2009? Here4theBeer May 2014 #11
The 96-0 vote is also suspicious Algernon Moncrieff May 2014 #13
See, Obama is fulfilling his campaign promises. We now have a Hopi and Change. nt okaawhatever May 2014 #12
She was a McCain and Kyl appointee for U.S. Attorney under Bush in 2007. former9thward May 2014 #14
 

happyslug

(14,779 posts)
9. District Court Judges are picked by their State's Senator
Wed May 14, 2014, 11:54 PM
May 2014

The US Constitution technically gives the power to select the Judges to the President, but subject to Confirmation by the Senate. Since 1789 when it comes to Judges in any one State, the Senate had REFUSED to confirm ANYONE not "Recommended" by that State's Senators. Thus in reality, it is the Senator from the State that actually picks the Judges for that State.

Now, the Judge has to be from the same party as the President, but the selection is made by the Senators from that state

She is from Arizona, and her Senators are McCain and Jeff Flake. I suspect McCain picked her and thus leaves Flake to pick the next Judge.

former9thward

(31,798 posts)
14. She was a McCain and Kyl appointee for U.S. Attorney under Bush in 2007.
Sat May 17, 2014, 02:18 AM
May 2014

She was fired by Obama in 2009 and now appointed by him to become a federal judge.

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