8th Circuit Court

2 judicial nominees rated as ‘not qualified’ among group of 17 to advance to the Senate

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday advanced to the Senate 17 judicial nominees—including two who received “not qualified” ratings from the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. U.S. News & World Report described the 17 as an “abnormally large group.” Liberal interest groups have charged that Republicans grouped together…

Jan 19, 2018 9:45 AM CST

8th Circuit nominee Grasz confirmed by the Senate despite ABA committee’s ‘not qualified’ rating

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Leonard Steven Grasz to a seat on the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Dec 12, 2017 4:29 PM CST

Grassley delays vote on controversial 8th Circuit nominee to allow review of new information

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has delayed a vote on a federal appeals court nominee who received a “not qualified” rating from the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary to allow time for review of additional information. Grassley said (PDF) follow-up materials provided this week by the nominee,…

Dec 1, 2017 1:10 PM CST

ABA president defends ratings of judicial nominees after GOP senators claim liberal bias

Updated: ABA President Hilarie Bass defended an ABA committee’s ratings of judicial nominees on Wednesday after GOP senators charged in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that liberal bias could be swaying the evaluations.

Nov 15, 2017 5:26 PM CST

ABA committee member provides context to ‘you guys’ comment in Grasz interview

Clarified: A member of the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary who interviewed Leonard Steven Grasz is providing context to a comment about "you guys" in a discussion they had during the interview process.

Nov 15, 2017 11:20 AM CST

8th Circuit nominee answers senators’ questions on ‘not qualified’ rating

Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed harsh criticism of the "not qualified" rating given to a candidate for the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals during a hearing Wednesday morning.

Nov 1, 2017 5:09 PM CDT

ABA committee explains its ‘not qualified’ rating for 8th Circuit nominee

A nominee for a federal appeals court received a “not qualified” rating from an ABA committee partly because of concerns about his commitment to precedent, according to a statement by the committee chair.

Oct 31, 2017 9:35 AM CDT

Franken opposes Stras for 8th Circuit; will confirmation hearing be held?

U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., has announced he will oppose the nomination of Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras to the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Franken said he believed that Stras, a former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, would “steer the already conservative…

Sep 6, 2017 11:05 AM CDT

Lawyer who objected to mandatory bar’s PAC contribution loses First Amendment appeal

A federal appeals court recently ruled against a North Dakota lawyer who alleged the mandatory state bar violated his First Amendment rights. Arnold Fleck had claimed the bar should have given him the chance to affirmatively consent before using his money on activities that weren’t relevant to the practice of…

Aug 23, 2017 4:00 PM CDT

Arkansas can block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, 8th Circuit rules

Arkansas can block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled (PDF) on Wednesday. The Associated Press, Reuters and The Hill had the story. The 2-1 ruling lifted an injunction issued last year by a federal judge that blocked Arkansas from cutting off…

Aug 17, 2017 11:53 AM CDT

8th Circuit rejects challenge to Nebraska law prohibiting picketing at funerals

The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church on Friday lost its bid to overturn a Nebraska law that forbade picketing at funerals, according to the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star and Reuters.

Aug 14, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Company can’t fire worker for making racist comments on picket line, appeals court says

The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a company cannot fire a union member for yelling racist insults at replacement workers crossing a picket line, BNA Bloomberg reports. The opinion (PDF) issued Tuesday upheld a finding by the National Labor Relations Board, which ruled that…

Aug 9, 2017 3:03 PM CDT

Lawyers accused of forum shopping for settlement approval win reversal of federal sanctions

A federal appeals court has ruled class action lawyers did not abuse the judicial process when they dropped a federal lawsuit and refiled it in Arkansas state court with a proposed settlement.

Jul 27, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Trump announces 11 more judicial nominees, including a judge from his SCOTUS list

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced 11 more judicial nominees, including three to federal appeals courts. One of the nominees is Colorado Supreme Court Justice Allison Eid, who was on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees, report the New York Times, the Washington Times, the Hill and the Denver…

Jun 8, 2017 8:05 AM CDT

Obama is reportedly vetting a federal appeals judge from Grassley’s home state for SCOTUS

The Obama administration is reportedly vetting a federal appeals judge from Iowa for a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The judge, Jane Kelly of the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, had the backing of U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican who is chairman of the Senate…

Mar 3, 2016 7:22 AM CST