Thomas Farr: Difference between revisions
m clean up, removed stub tag using AWB |
Snickers2686 (talk | contribs) Adding Federalist Society membership |
||
| Line 39: | Line 39: | ||
Farr's nomination was opposed by the [[Congressional Black Caucus]] due to Farr's role as a lawyer defending North Carolina voting restrictions which were struck down by a court as racially biased. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Farr said that he disagreed with the 4th Circuit panel's ruling and that "at the time our clients enacted those laws, I do not believe that they thought that were purposefully discriminating against African Americans." He said that if he is confirmed to the federal judiciary, he would follow the 4th Circuit's ruling.<ref name=":1"/><ref name=follow/> |
Farr's nomination was opposed by the [[Congressional Black Caucus]] due to Farr's role as a lawyer defending North Carolina voting restrictions which were struck down by a court as racially biased. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Farr said that he disagreed with the 4th Circuit panel's ruling and that "at the time our clients enacted those laws, I do not believe that they thought that were purposefully discriminating against African Americans." He said that if he is confirmed to the federal judiciary, he would follow the 4th Circuit's ruling.<ref name=":1"/><ref name=follow/> |
||
== Memberships == |
|||
He has been a member of the [[Federalist Society]] since 1985.<ref name="Questionnaire">[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Farr%20SJQ.pdf United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Thomas Alvin Farr]</ref> |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 22:40, 1 August 2018
Thomas Alvin Farr | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 24, 1954 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Education | Hillsdale College (BLS) Emory University (JD) Georgetown University (LLM) |
Thomas Alvin Farr (born October 24, 1954)[1] is currently a shareholder in the Raleigh office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., and is a nominee to be a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Biography
He received his Bachelor of Liberal Studies, summa cum laude, from Hillsdale College, where he was co-salutatorian. He received his Juris Doctor from Emory University and a Master of Laws in labor law from Georgetown University. He served as a law clerk to Judge Frank William Bullock Jr. of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Prior to entering private practice, he was an attorney with the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and counsel to the United States Senate and Labor Human Resources Committee. He is currently a shareholder in the Raleigh office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. where his practice focuses on employment matters and constitutional law.[2]
North Carolina racial gerrymandering and voter identification law
Farr represented Republican state legislators in lawsuits related to redistricting and voter identification changes which were struck down by a court as racially biased.[3][4] Farr, who was involved with drafting the 2013 North Carolina voter I.D. law, had in court defended voting restrictions that were later struck down by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which wrote that the law targeted African Americans "with almost surgical precision."[4][5] Newsweek described Farr as having a "history of working on voter suppression...part of a wider Republican effort that critics say disenfranchises African-Americans and the poor."[6] In 2010, he advised the North Carolina General Assembly in what federal courts termed a "racial gerrymander" of the state's voting districts.[7]
In 1990, Farr played a role in an unlawful effort at voter suppression conducted by the Jesse Helms re-election campaign, aimed at preventing African Americans from voting.[5] The campaign mailed 150,000 postcards to residents in African-American neighborhoods stating that the recipients were not eligible to vote and would be imprisoned if they showed up at the polls.[6][7] When the campaign was sued by the Department of Justice, Farr defended it and in 1992, after the election was over, signed a consent decree.[6]
Nominations to district court
Farr was nominated to the court in both 2006 and 2007 by George W. Bush, but he never received a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.[8]
On July 13, 2017, President Trump nominated Farr to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, to the seat vacated by Judge Malcolm Jones Howard, who took senior status on December 31, 2005.[9] On September 20, 2017, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[10] On October 19, 2017, his nomination was reported out of committee by a roll call vote of 11–9.[11]
On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[12] On January 5, 2018 President Donald Trump announced his intent to renominate Farr to a federal judgeship.[13] On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate.[14] On January 18, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 11–10 vote.[15] His nomination is currently pending before the full United States Senate.
Farr's nomination was opposed by the Congressional Black Caucus due to Farr's role as a lawyer defending North Carolina voting restrictions which were struck down by a court as racially biased. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Farr said that he disagreed with the 4th Circuit panel's ruling and that "at the time our clients enacted those laws, I do not believe that they thought that were purposefully discriminating against African Americans." He said that if he is confirmed to the federal judiciary, he would follow the 4th Circuit's ruling.[3][4]
Memberships
He has been a member of the Federalist Society since 1985.[16]
References
- ^ "Attorney Thomas A Farr – Lawyer in Greenville SC". www.lawyercentral.com.
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Fifth Wave of Judicial Candidates – The White House".
- ^ a b "Trump pick for NC judge accused of 'hostile record on African-American voting rights and workers' rights'". charlotteobserver. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ a b c Press, Associated. "Judicial Nominee: I'll Follow North Carolina Voter ID Ruling". Retrieved October 19, 2017.
- ^ a b Amend, Alex (December 4, 2017). "From eugenics to voter ID laws: Thomas Farr's connections to the Pioneer Fund". Hatewatch. Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ a b c Nazaryan, Alexander (September 21, 2017). "President Trump Is Rewarding A Lawyer Who Has Fought To Block The Black Vote With A Plum Federal Judgeship". Newsweek. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ a b Barber, William (January 11, 2018). "President Trump's New Judicial Nominee Is 'Moral Poison'". TIME. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ Robertson, Gary (July 13, 2017). "Farr gets another crack at North Carolina federal judgeship". Washington Times. Associated Press. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ ""Ten Nominations Sent to the Senate Today" White House, July 13, 2017". Archived from the original on July 14, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov.
- ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – October 19, 2017, Senate Judiciary Committee" (PDF).
- ^ "Congressional Record", United States Senate, January 3, 2018
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Renomination of 21 Judicial Nominees", White House, January 5, 2018
- ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate Today", The White House, January 8, 2018
- ^ Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 18, 2018, Senate Judiciary Committee
- ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Thomas Alvin Farr