Federal judge changes his mind about stepping down, [View all]

[Fla Dem]

Federal judge changes his mind about stepping down, eliminating vacancy for Biden to fill
The Hill
Brad Dress - 37m ago

A federal judge who announced in August that he would step down from active service has informed the White House he has changed his mind, eliminating a vacancy on the bench President Biden could fill.

Robert King, 81, who serves with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., told Biden he would not be taking senior status after all in a letter obtained by Reuters.

"After careful consideration, I have decided to continue for the foreseeable future in regular active service," King said in the letter.

King also apologized to the president for the "inconvenience." Per Reuters, he did not give a reason for reversing his prior decision.

King, who was born in West Virginia, was first nominated to the 15-member circuit court in 1998 by former President Bill Clinton. When he announced that he would be stepping down from active service and taking senior status, it gave Biden an opportunity to nominate a replacement to fill his seat.

Biden has already nominated one judge to the court, Tobey Heytens, who the U.S. Senate confirmed this month. Heytens became the first openly LGBTQ member to sit on a federal court.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hears appeals cases on the East Coast, stretching from Maryland to South Carolina.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-judge-changes-his-mind-about-stepping-down-eliminating-vacancy-for-biden-to-fill/ar-AAR6a0D?ocid=U452DHP&pc=U452