Important facts about the current state of play on judicial nominations.

[Dover]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 /U. S. Newswire/ -- With the Senate in recess, Alliance for Justice has gathered important facts about the current state of play on judicial nominations.

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The Numbers:

The Senate has confirmed 201 of President Bush's judicial nominations, including 35 to the circuit courts. (More than the per-term average for Presidents Clinton, Bush I or Reagan.)

Ten nominees are currently being filibustered (one of whom, Estrada, has since withdrawn). Republicans blocked over 60 of President Clinton's judicial nominees.

Lowest vacancy rate this decade - 3 percent - far lower than the unemployment rate. Currently only 28 vacancies on the federal bench (out of the 876 authorized judgeships).

26 pending nominees, two withdrawals, and one whom Bush chose not to renominate (total of 29) in contrast to the 65 Clinton nominees who were left hanging or withdrew.

President Bush has appointed 24percentof the active federal judges (20 percent of the circuit courts). In all, Republican appointees make up 55 percent of the active federal judges, including 59 percent of the active circuit court judges.

10 of the 13 circuits have Republican-appointed majorities. The Sixth Circuit is even, the Second and Ninth have D-appointed majorities, and the rest have R-appointed majorities. Several of the R-majority circuits have substantial, dominant R-majorities:

1st Cir. is 2:1 Republican

4th Cir is more than 2:1 Republican

5th Circuit is almost 3/4 Republican (73 percent)

7th Circuit is almost 3/4 Republican (73 percent)

8th Circuit is more than 3/4 Republican (82 percent)

Federal Circuit is 2:1 Republican

In contrast, none of the circuits has a 2:1 Democratic majority

2nd Circuit is almost even (7-6 Democratic-appointee majority).

9th Circuit has a Democratic majority, but still less than 2-to-1.

President Bush has not had to fill any vacancies on the Supreme Court, but since all but one of the justices on the Court are over 65, one or more vacancies next term are likely. In the last 50 years, one in four of presidents' nominees to the Supreme Court were defeated....cont'd

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=38137

[Met Knup]

1. Where can I get good information on State Judicial Races?

I am looking for a good site that is tracking state Supreme Court (and other high state court) elections this year.

If anyone is following hotly contested judicial races in their state, please give us your status report.

Thanks.