Obama Nominates VA Justice Barbara Keenan for US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

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(Photo source: Virginia Lawyer's Weekly)

Virginia Supreme Court Justice Barbara Milano Keenan
Nominee for United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Replacing Nixon appointee deceased Judge Hiram Emory Widener, Jr.


Demographics

59 years old.
Gender: Female.
Race or Ethnicity: White


Experience

Virginia State Supreme Court Justice (1991-)
Virginia State Official Judge, Court of Appeals (1985-91)
Virginia State Official Judge, Circuit Court (1982-85)
Virginia State Official Judge, General District Court, Fairfax County (1980-82)
Virginia State Official Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, Fairfax County (1974-76)


Education

B.A., Cornell University (1971).
J.D., George Washington University (1974).
Master's, University of Virginia School of Law (1992).


Shattering Virginia's glass ceiling

"Keenan became the first female judge in Virginia when she was elected in 1980 to the General District Court in Fairfax County. Two years later, she became the first female circuit court judge when elected to the Circuit Court of Fairfax County and she was the only woman appointed to the Court of Appeals of Virginia upon its creation in 1985."
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/09/va-supreme-court-justice-nominated-us-court-appeals


Interesting cases and awards

Civil Rights:

"Justice Keenan dissented, joined by Justices Whiting and Lacy. Keenan argued that the court erred by presuming that a lesbian mother in a relationship was unfit, without specific proof that her relationship negatively affected the child."
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/usa/legal/lgln/1995/05.95

Judicial Restraint:

"Applying a good dose of common sense, Justice Milano Keenan affirmed the trial court's dismissal of the case and made clear that in Virginia, if you attend a baseball game, you assume the risk that you might get hit by a ball. No one with "ordinary intelligence" could watch a baseball game without "coming to a full realization" that batters cannot always control the direction of the ball. Fans can expect the game of baseball to continue in Prince William County-it won't be bankrupted by lawsuits over line drives."
http://commongood.org/assets/attachments/86.pdf


White House Press release
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Nominates-Justice-Barbara-Milano-Keenan-for-United-States-Court-of-Appeals-for-the-Fourth-Circuit/


Recommended by
Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner of Virginia


4th Circuit by Party of Nominating President



The 4th Circuit was once regarded as the most conservative in the nation. With 5 vacancies it has the most by far of any federal Appeals court in the nation.

On April 2, 2009 President Obama nominated Judge Andre Davis to fill one of the vacancies but he has not yet been confirmed by the Senate. If Obama is able to get the other 3 seats nominated and confirmed and these two nominees confirmed, the once most conservative court in the nation will have a 2-1 Democratic appointee majority.

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1. In other words, good news.

[Mist]

2. This IS good news--thanks for posting! nt

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3. Welcome

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4. kick