Judiciary Committee Advances Nominations of One Circuit Court Judge, Four District Court Judges, and Four U.S. Attorneys

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Leonard Philip Stark, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit; Bridget Meehan Brennan, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; Jacqueline Scott Corley, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California; Charles Esque Fleming, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; and David Augustin Ruiz, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio.

The Committee also advanced the nomination of Katherine Vidal, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Stark received a vote of 16-6; Brennan received a vote of 15-7; Corley received a vote of 16-6; Fleming received a vote of 13-9; Ruiz received a vote of 14-8; and Vidal received a vote of 17-5.

The Committee also advanced the nominations of Ryan K. Buchanan, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia; Jason M. Frierson, to be United States Attorney for the District of Nevada; Andrew M. Luger, to be United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota; and Mark A. Totten, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, by voice vote.

Key Durbin quotes on today’s judicial nominees:

“[Judge Stark] has served the District of Delaware—as a Magistrate Judge and District Court Judge—[and] Chief Judge for the District of Delaware, and has presided over thousands of civil and criminal cases. He has a special expertise in patent law, which commends him for this position with the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.”

“[Ms. Brennan is] currently serving as the Acting United States Attorney. She has been a litigator for two decades—a majority of it as a prosecutor—and handled cases across the board: human and sex trafficking, money laundering, etc.”

“[Judge Jacqueline Corley] has served since 2011 as Magistrate Judge in the Northern District [of California]… [She had] a 20-year legal career between private practice and service as a law clerk to Judge Charles Breyer on California’s Northern District. The ABA found her unanimously ‘Well Qualified.’”

“[Mr. Fleming has] extensive litigation experience… [He] worked as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District [of Ohio, and has] a remarkable breadth of courtroom experience…. The ABA rates him unanimously ‘Well Qualified.’”

“[Judge Ruiz] served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge [in the Northern District of Ohio]. He’s been rated unanimously ‘Well Qualified’ by the ABA. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and as a litigator in private practice.”

Durbin also spoke to the qualifications of USPTO nominee Katherine Vidal:

“[Ms. Vidal is] a well-qualified nominee. [For] 25 years, she’s been litigating patent and intellectual property matters. She has tried 32 of them to decision. She really has a deep understanding of this office and will be an asset to its management.”

Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

-30-