Monday, March 30, 2020

Movin' on Up

Cory Wilson to Fifth Circuit, Kristi Johnson to Federal Bench

Senator Roger Wicker issued the following statement.


U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today welcomed President Trump’s nominations of Judge Cory T. Wilson of Flora to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Kristi H. Johnson of Brandon to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi.
 
“I am pleased that President Trump has selected Judge Cory Wilson for the Fifth Circuit,” Wicker said. “Judge Wilson’s performance in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year confirmed what we already knew – he is a smart, thoughtful, conservative jurist who will follow the rule of law. Given his academic and professional achievements, I am sure that Judge Wilson would serve the court well.”
 
“The elevation of Judge Cory Wilson’s nomination to the Circuit Court of Appeals reflects President Trump’s confidence in Cory’s conservative judicial philosophy, legal knowledge, academic and public service. I’ve known Judge Wilson for many years. He is well qualified to serve on this court, and I will do everything I can to promote his confirmation,” Hyde-Smith said.
 
President Trump had previously nominated Wilson to serve as U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. In January, Wicker and Hyde-Smith introduced Wilson to the Senate Judiciary Committee where his nomination was still pending confirmation.
 
A native of Moss Point, Wilson earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and law degree from Yale University, where he served on the Yale Law Journal.  He served as a law clerk to Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Emmett Ripley Cox, in addition to being a White House Fellow in the U.S. Department of Defense.
 
Prior to his appointment to the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Wilson served in the Mississippi House of Representatives and held senior positions within the offices of the Mississippi State Treasurer and Mississippi Secretary of State. A lawyer by profession, Wilson is also a former adjunct professor at Mississippi College School of Law.


 
Johnson, a native of Brandon, is currently the Solicitor General of Mississippi.
 
“Kristi Johnson is an excellent choice for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi,” Wicker said. “A native Mississippian and current Solicitor General of Mississippi, Johnson is a well-respected litigator who has the qualifications, intellect, and experience necessary to serve with distinction. And, if confirmed, she would bring an important perspective to the bench as the first woman to serve as a federal judge for the Southern District.”
 
"Kristi Johnson’s legal and academic career indicate she will make an excellent U.S. District Court Judge. It was a pleasure to recommend a well-qualified Mississippian to be the first woman judge to serve in the Southern District,” Hyde-Smith said. “I look forward to Kristi’s confirmation process and having her confirmed as soon as possible.”
 
Johnson earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and a law degree from Mississippi College, where she served as executive editor of the Mississippi College Law Review. She served as a law clerk for the Honorable Sharion Aycock with the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Mississippi and for the Honorable Leslie H. Southwick with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
 
Johnson has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Mississippi, an adjunct professor at Mississippi College and as Treasurer and Secretary of the Mississippi Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
 

...

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. Congrats to both

Anonymous said...

A guy who has been a judge for a little over a year gets nominated to the Fifth Circuit. Ridiculous. He isn't qualified.

Anonymous said...

Sure that Wilson will do a good job but there sure is a paucity of actual experience in that elevation.

Anonymous said...

Cory Wilson is what litigators want in a judge, i.e., smart, listens well, great work ethic and solid character.

Anonymous said...

Actually, 5:20, what they want is a greenhorn who is easily intimidated by pompous 65 year old liberal lawyers.

Anonymous said...

4:51 and 5:04 - "only" been on the bench for .....

You do realize that many, if not most, federal judges have never been on the bench prior to their nomination.

Some of Mississippi's greatest in modern day history were never on any bench - Former CHIEF Judge of the Fifth Circuit Charles Clark comes to mind quickly. As well as Rhesa Barksdale and Grady Jolly, two currently serving Senior Active Judges were never on a bench prior to their appointment.

These three certainly point out the fact that quality individuals can be appointed that didn't serve on a lower court bench prior.

Now - on the other hand, you have Judge Graves who was appointed to be a Circuit Judge by Governor Ray Mabus, later appointed to be a MS Supreme Court Judge by Governor Ronnie Musgrove - and then appointed to the Fifth Circuit with all that previous bench experience.

In between of course you have Judge Southwick who did serve a dozen years on the MS Court of Appeals, although he was first nominated for the Fifth Circuit prior to his time on the bench.


For my money, looking at the above examples, I'll consider your requirement of "time on the bench" as being little more than sour grapes.

Cory Wilson can stand with the Judge Jolly, Barksdale and Southwick group well in terms of education, judicial temperment, and qualifications.

Congratulations Judge Cory Wilson.

Anonymous said...

5:54
I agree with your obviously educated opinion on the matter. I was a colleague of Cory and one could not ask for a higher caliber person for a Judge.

Anonymous said...

Kristi Johnson will be an excellent jurist.

Anonymous said...

Wilson is bright but has no idea what the common person goes through.
He will be a reliable corporate oriented judge. Nothing creative.

Anonymous said...

Lifetime judge appointments are political favors doled out to/by the party in power to the youngest possible in order to ensure a lengthy partisan tenure. Nothing more at this point. We can only hope whoever gets the call is somewhat intelligent. Mitch McConnell has all but ensured it will remain this way by changing the rules for SC appointments, further degrading and destroying the bench.

Anonymous said...

5:54. Looking for the "like" button to hit a hundred times.

Anonymous said...

5:54 shows so much ignorance. Logical, factual and well reasoned posts are not welcome here.

Congratulations to Judge Cory Wilson.

Anonymous said...

Negative comments from no count nobodies simply jealous of winners. Read it and weep.....losers.

Anonymous said...

Solicitor General: the law officer directly below the attorney general in the US Department of Justice, responsible for arguing cases.

Someone make a case she has argued in said capacity......

Anonymous said...

9:59. She hasn't argued anything as SG. She was just hired by the AG a little over a month ago and given the title "solicitor general". There is no such official position in the AG's office. The AG's office does have a case to be argued in the USSCT next term, a criminal case, but it is apparent that the current AG is not going to permit the criminal division attorneys handle it.

Anonymous said...

Why no love for Shadrack?

Anonymous said...

9:59 - What's the example of 'arguing cases' got to do with a bench appointment?

Anonymous said...

634, so because Majority Leader Harry Reid 'lowered the bar' for confirmation of Executive Branch appointments and Federal Judges (except at the time, he did not include Supreme Court Justices, because there were none to be considered) you think it's relevant in this situation - discussing two federal judges to note that Mitch McConnell 'lowered the bar' for confirming SC Justices? Interesting perspective that says lots about your political persuasions.

Yes McConnell did use the same process change of a majority vote to confirm Justices to the Supreme Court that your (Democrat) leader established. So how is it that McConnell is responsible for your displeasure?

And of course there is nothing in our enabling structure to support a super majority for confirmations rather than a simple majority, except of course the internal rules of the Senate that said so. Historically those rules have changed (used to be 67 before it was lowered to 60). But like your guru Carville said, never let the chance to throw mud pass by even when it's not relevant.

Anonymous said...

At least Cory Wilson has some experience, including judicial experience. The other nomination is just politics at its worst. Isn’t this the same person everyone determined wasn’t qualified to be a Solicitor General, and now has only been an SG for less than a month. Both candidates seem to be in line with Trump politics though, so I guess it all makes sense.

Anonymous said...

@ 1:41 AM

It's relevant to her being touted as MS's solicitor general when that position is made up. What does it mean? Interesting to put it on your CV when you haven't actually done anything in said capacity. But I guess one could say the same thing about Lynn as AG.

Anonymous said...

5:54 ignores that those non-judge attorneys had decades of experience practicing law.

Wilson is a GOP apparatchnik selected for his ideological loyalty, not for his legal mind (no such mind has been evident on the MSCOA).

This is like when, in the middle ages, the Church would ordain someone a priest & then make him a cardinal the following year.

If this is the best the GOP can offer, it’s running out of gas.

Anonymous said...

I have known Kristi professionally for many years. She is an extremely talented attorney with the correct temperament for this position.

She will do a great job.

Anonymous said...

the US Supreme court is provided in the article 3 of the constitution. ALL other federal courts , the district courts and the appeals courts are strictly creations of congress by the judicial act of 1866. think for a moment........what was going on in 1866? that's right.....it was a little process called RECONSTRUCTION. the system of federal courts was created to totally subjugate the south. federal courts are the last vestige and only remaining institution of reconstruction.
think about that before you become a cheerleader for these , the ultimate political appointments.

Anonymous said...

Cory and Kristin were fine attorneys and will make excellent federal judges. Trump finally got something right.

Anonymous said...

If this is the best the GOP can offer, it’s running out of gas.

RINO inbreeding. RINOs want your votes and money but rather you'd leave the actual thinking to their select team of bootlicking insiders.


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