Seventh (Circuit) Heaven: Hamilton Confirmed Along Party Lines

[WSJ Law Blog]

Just a quick hit on this rather glorious Friday November morning (in midtown Manhattan at least):

David Hamilton, the chief judge of the Southern District of Indiana, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday, by a 59 to 39 vote, to a seat on the Seventh Circuit in Chicago.

“This is a nomination that should be confirmed and should have been confirmed months ago,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), in a statement. “David Hamilton is a fine judge and will make a good addition to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.” The vote was almost straight down party lines; the only Republican to cross the aisle was Indiana Senator Richard Lugar. Click here for the Reuters story; here for coverage from the BLT blog; here for the Indianapolis Star’s story.

Hamilton, a Hoosier State native, grew up in Southern Indiana. He graduated from Haverford in 1979 and from Yale Law in 1983. Before he joined the federal court, Hamilton was a partner at Barnes & Thornburg in Indianapolis, and he served from 1989-1991 as counsel to then-Gov. Evan Bayh.

His appointment to the Seventh Circuit had been opposed by Republicans and others partly on grounds of a 2005 decision in which he enjoined the Speaker of Indiana’s House of Representatives from permitting “sectarian” prayers to be offered as part of that body’s official proceedings.

For LB background on Hamilton, click here, here, here, here, here and here.