Damon Leichty

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Damon R. Leichty
Image of Damon R. Leichty

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Tenure

2019 - Present

Years in position

5

Education

Bachelor's

Wabash College, 1994

Graduate

University of Aberdeen, 1999

Law

Indiana University, Bloomington, Maurer School of Law, 1999

Contact

Official website

Damon R. Leichty is a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. On July 17, 2018, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Leichty to a seat on this court.[1] The United States Senate confirmed Leichty on July 10, 2019, by a vote of 85-10.[2] He received commission on July 26, 2019.[3] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Leichty was a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP from 2007 to 2019.[4]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On July 17, 2018, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Leichty to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.[1] The United States Senate confirmed Leichty on July 10, 2019, by a vote of 85-10.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Damon Leichty
Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Progress
Confirmed 358 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: July 17, 2018
ApprovedAABA Rating: Substantial majority well qualified / Minority qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: November 13, 2018
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: February 7, 2019 
ApprovedAConfirmed: July 10, 2019
ApprovedAVote: 85-10


Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Leichty on July 10, 2019, on a vote of 85-10.[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Leichty confirmation vote (July 10, 2019)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 31 10 4
Ends.png Republican 53 0 0
Grey.png Independent 1 0 1
Total 85 10 5
Change in Senate rules
See also:
Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress
Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
United States federal courts

Leichty was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.

On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[5]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[6]

It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[7] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.


Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Leichty's nomination on November 13, 2018.[8]

The Senate Judiciary Committee favorably reported Leichty's nomination on February 7, 2019.[9] Click here to see how the committee voted. Leichty's nomination was one of 44 that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reported that day.


Nomination

Leichty was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on July 17, 2018, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. He was nominated to succeed Judge Robert Miller, Jr., who assumed senior status on January 11, 2016.[1]

At the sine die adjournment of the 115th Congress on January 3, 2019, the Senate returned Leichty's nomination to President Trump.[10] Leichty was one of 51 individuals the president re-nominated on January 23, 2019.[11]

The American Bar Association rated Leichty well qualified by a substantial majority and qualified by a minority.[12] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Education

Leichty received a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from Wabash College in 1994. He obtained a master's degree from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in 1999 and a J.D., cum laude, from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1999.[4][13]

Professional career

About the court

Northern District of Indiana
Seventh Circuit
IN-ND.gif
Judgeships
Posts: 5
Judges: 5
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief: Holly Brady
Active judges: Holly Brady, Cristal Brisco, Damon R. Leichty, Gretchen S. Lund, Philip Simon

Senior judges:
Jon E. DeGuilio, Robert Miller, James T. Moody, Theresa Springmann, Joseph Van Bokkelen


The United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana is one of 94 United States district courts. It was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern and United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The Northern District of Indiana has courthouses in Fort Wayne, Hammond, Lafayette and South Bend, Indiana. Decisions of the court may be appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit based in Chicago, Illinois, at the Everett M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse and Building.

The Counties of the Northern District of Indiana (click for larger map)

The Northern District of Indiana has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

There are three court divisions, each covering the following counties:

The Fort Wayne Division, covering Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Grant, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley counties.[14]

The South Bend Division, covering Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Marshall, Miami, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke and Wabash counties.[14]

The Hammond Division, covering Benton, Carroll, Jasper, Lake, Newton, Porter, Tippecanoe, Warren and White counties.[14]

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Congress.gov, "PN2268 — Damon Ray Leichty — The Judiciary," accessed July 11, 2019
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Congress.gov, "PN234 — Damon Ray Leichty — The Judiciary," accessed July 11, 2019
  3. ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Leichty, Damon Ray," accessed July 29, 2019
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Damon Ray Leichty," accessed July 11, 2019
  5. ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
  6. ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
  7. ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
  8. ↑ Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," November 13, 2018
  9. ↑ U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," February 7, 2019
  10. ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days. Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 11, 2017
  11. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 23, 2019
  12. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed July 11, 2019
  13. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Sixteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Sixteenth Wave of United States Attorney Nominees, and Eleventh Wave of United States Marshal Nominees," July 13, 2018
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 U.S. Marshals Service, Northern District of Indiana

Political offices
Preceded by
- 		United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
2019-Present		 Succeeded by
-


Indiana courts

Federal courts:

Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana

State courts:

Indiana Supreme Court • Indiana Court of Appeals • Indiana Superior Courts • Indiana Circuit Courts • Indiana Small Claims Courts • St. Joseph County Probate Court, Indiana • Indiana Tax Court • Indiana Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in Indiana • Indiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Indiana

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