Litigation

Butler Nomination Returned to White House

By Peter Hardin

For the second time, the Senate has sent President Obama’s nomination of former Wisconsin Justice Louis L. Butler Jr. for a federal judgeship back to the White House.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has twice approved Justice Butler’s nomination and sent it to the full Senate, only to see a confirmation vote there delayed by “fractious politics,” according to an article in WisPolitics.com.

The White House could resubmit the nomination to the Senate again in September for action. The Senate is currently on its summer recess. Because the nomination has proven so controversial, its future is uncertain.

In 2008, Justice Butler was defeated for re-election by challenger Michael Gableman in a heated election contest. Justice Gableman went on to face an ethics complaint for a campaign ad that had attacked the incumbent. When the state Supreme Court deadlocked on the ethics complaint this year, the Wisconsin Judicial Commission dropped it (see Gavel Grab).

Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin said after Obama nominated Justice Butler, ?Now, the man who was voted off the bench in Wisconsin is being given a promotion, a lifetime appointment and a pay raise.? Read more posts about Justice Butler by clicking here. To learn more about Obama’s judicial nominations, click here.

Full post as published by The Gavel on August 12, 2010 (boomark / email).