Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Latest Judiciary Committee Hearing On Four Judicial Nominations

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Embry J. Kidd, nominated to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit; Joseph Francis Saporito Jr., nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Adam Abelson, nominated to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland; and Meredith Vacca, nominated to be U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of New York.

Durbin began the hearing by introducing Judge Embry Kidd. 

Key Quotes:

“Judge Kidd was born in Birmingham, Alabama, received his B.A., with high honors, from Emory University, and went on to earn a J.D from Yale Law School.”

“After law school, Judge Kidd served as a law clerk to Judge Roger L. Gregory on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  He then began working as an associate attorney at Williams & Connolly, where he litigated a variety of complex federal and state civil cases.”

“In 2014, Judge Kidd joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. There, he prosecuted cases involving public corruption, wire and mail fraud, financial crimes, violent crimes, crimes against children, and narcotics importation and distribution. He also worked closely with the office’s appellate division.”

“In 2019, he was selected by the judges of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to serve as a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Since joining the bench, Judge Kidd has issued more than 13,000 written decisions.”

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.

Today’s hearing continues the Committee’s work filling judicial and executive vacancies with highly qualified, diverse candidates who help ensure the fair and impartial administration of the American justice system.  Under the leadership of Chair Durbin, the Senate has confirmed 201 judges to lifetime appointments on the federal bench during the Biden administration.  Ten lifetime judges – including three circuit court nominees and seven district court nominees – are eligible for a vote on the Senate floor.

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