James Knepp (Ohio)
2020 - Present
3
James R. Knepp, II is an Article III judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. He was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on March 3, 2020, and confirmed by a 64-24 U.S. Senate vote on November 10, 2020. To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio 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.
Knepp was a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio from 2010 to 2020.[1]
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (Article III seat, 2020-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On March 3, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Knepp to an Article III seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. He was confirmed by a 64-24 vote of the U.S. Senate on November 10, 2020. Knepp received commission on November 13, 2020.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: James Knepp |
| Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 252 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: March 3, 2020
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously well qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: July 29, 2020
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: September 17, 2020
|
| Confirmed: November 10, 2020
|
| Vote: 64-24
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Knepp by a vote of 64-24 on November 10, 2020.[3] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Knepp confirmation vote (November 10, 2020) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
16 | 22 | 5 | ||||||
 Republican |
48 | 0 | 7 | ||||||
 Independent |
0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 64 | 24 | 12 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Knepp 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.[4]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[5]
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.[6] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Knepp had his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 29, 2020.[7] The committee voted 17-5 to advance Knepp's nomination to the full U.S. Senate on September 17, 2020.[8]
Nomination
On February 26, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Knepp to an Article III seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.[9] The president officially nominated Knepp on March 3.[3]
Knepp was nominated to succeed Judge Jack Zouhary, who assumed senior status on June 30, 2019.[10]
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Knepp well qualified for the position.[11] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (magistrate, 2010-2020)
Knepp became a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on July 30, 2010. He was re-appointed in 2018. Knepp left this position after he was confirmed to an Article III seat on the same court.
Early life and education
Knepp was born in 1964 in Akron, Ohio. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Mount Union College in 1986, his M.A. from Bowling Green State University in 1987, and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1992. During his legal studies, Knepp was a member of the editorial board for the University of Toledo Law Review.[9][12]
Professional career
- 2010-present: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- 2020-present: Article III judge
- 2010-2020: Federal magistrate judge
- 1994-2010: Robison, Curphey & O’Connell, LLC in Toledo, Ohio
- 2007-2010: Management committee
- 2000-2010: Partner
- 1994-2000: Associate
- 1992-1994: Law clerk to Judge John W. Potter, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio[13]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2019: Toledo Junior Bar Association Order of the Heel
- 2004: Northwest Ohio Hemophilia Foundation Volunteer of the Year[13]
Associations
- American Bar Association
- American Health Lawyers Association
- American Judicature Society
- Defense Research Institute
- Diocese of Toledo St. Thomas More Society
- Federal Bar Association
- Legal Aid of Western Ohio/Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
- Lucas County Bar Association
- Morrison R. Waite Inn of Court
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
- Northwest Ohio Hemophilia Foundation
- Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys
- Ohio State Bar Association
- St. Francis DeSales High School Brisson Association
- Society of Ohio Hospital Attorneys
- State Bar of Michigan
- Toledo Bar Association
- Toledo Junior Bar Association
- Toledo Legal Aid Society
- United Health Services[13]
About the court
| Northern District of Ohio |
|---|
| Sixth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 11 |
| Judges: 10 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Sara Lioi |
| Active judges: John R. Adams, Pamela A. Barker, Bridget Brennan, J. Philip Calabrese, Charles Fleming, Jeffrey J. Helmick, James Knepp, Sara Lioi, Benita Pearson, David A. Ruiz Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio is one of 94 United States district courts. The main courthouse is located in Cleveland, Ohio, along with other offices in Toledo, Akron, and Youngstown. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit based in downtown Cincinnati at the Potter A. Stewart Federal Courthouse and Building.
The Northern District of Ohio has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The geographic jurisdiction of the Northern District of Ohio consists of all the following counties in the northern part of the state of Ohio.
There are two court divisions, each covering the following counties:
The Eastern Division, covering Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Crawford, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties.
The Western Division, covering Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Marion, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties.
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
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
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, "Historical lists - Magistrate judges," accessed March 13, 2017
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Knepp, James Ray II," accessed November 16, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Congress.gov, "PN1661 — James Ray Knepp II — The Judiciary," accessed March 4, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," July 29, 2020
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," September 17, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees, a United States Attorney Nominee, and a United States Marshal Nominee," February 26, 2020
- ↑ Cleveland.com, "President Donald Trump nominates Cuyahoga County judge for federal bench," February 26, 2020
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed July 29, 2020
- ↑ United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, "Magistrate Judge James R. Knepp, II," accessed February 27, 2020
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees," accessed July 29, 2020
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio 2020-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio 2010-2020 |
Succeeded by - |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
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| 2019 |
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| 2020 |
Lawrence VanDyke • Daniel Traynor • John Kness • Joshua Kindred • Philip Halpern • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Scott Rash • John Heil • Anna Manasco • John L. Badalamenti • Drew Tipton • Andrew Brasher • Cory Wilson • Scott Hardy • David Joseph • Matthew Schelp • John Cronan • Justin Walker • Brett H. Ludwig • Christy Wiegand • Thomas Cullen • Diane Gujarati • Stanley Blumenfeld • Mark Scarsi • John Holcomb • Stephen P. McGlynn • Todd Robinson • Hala Jarbou • David Dugan • Iain D. Johnston • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Hinderaker • Roderick Young • Michael Newman • Aileen Cannon • James Knepp • Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson • Toby Crouse • Philip Calabrese • Taylor McNeel • Thomas Kirsch • Stephen Vaden • Katherine Crytzer • Fernando Aenlle-Rocha • Charles Atchley • Joseph Dawson | ||
Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio
State courts:
Ohio Supreme Court • Ohio District Courts of Appeal • Ohio Courts of Common Pleas • Ohio County Courts • Ohio Municipal Courts • Ohio Court of Claims
State resources:
Courts in Ohio • Ohio judicial elections • Judicial selection in Ohio
