The Honorable Judge O'Neill?

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Some old News clips.


American Lawyer Newspapers Group, Inc.
Texas Lawyer
October 15, 1990


Bush Ready To Pack the 5th Circuit;
5 Texans on U.S. Bench Among Serious Contenders For 3 Vacancies

BY MARK BALLARD


A series of retirements by Texans on the 5th U.S. Circuit of Appeals has given the Bush

administration the chance to wipe out all but a small Democratic presence on the court by

next year.

The 5th Circuit, once a trailblazing court known for its landmark civil rights decisions,

will have only three judges appointed by a Democrat after Bush fills upcoming vacancies

left by Circuit Judges Thomas M. Reavley and Jerre S. Williams, both Democratic appointees

from Austin who recently took senior status.
...
President Bush has scrapped the usual selection procedures and become personally

involved in finding Texans to fill the vacancies on the appeals court, Dickman said.
...
According to sources close to the selection process, the following candidates are under

serious consideration by the Justice Department (all are Republicans; none would talk or

return phone calls about their candidacies):
...
* John E. O'Neill, 43, a partner in Porter & Clements of Houston, a mostly defense-side

litigator. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist.

...


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American Lawyer Newspapers Group, Inc.
Texas Lawyer
January 21, 1991


Garza, O'Neill In Line for 5th Circuit


The Bush administration apparently will nominate U.S. District Judge Emilio Garza

of San Antonio and Porter & Clements partner John E. O'Neill of Houston to fill the

two vacancies on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The FBI on Jan. 16 confirmed background checks were under way for Garza and

O'Neill, who are expected to replace Judges Thomas M. Reavley and Jerre S. Williams,

both of whom are from Austin and took senior status in 1989. In past nominations, the

FBI began investigations only after the president had settled on a candidate. The

subsequent official nomination was only derailed if the FBI uncovered disqualifying

information.

...

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What happened?

Why is John Ellis O'Neill not
The Honorable Judge O'Neill today?