Lott expects confirmation of Rawlinson soon

Benjamin Grove

Monday, July 17, 2000 | 11:09 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott said over the weekend the Senate would confirm Johnnie Rawlinson of Las Vegas to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Lott's comment answered some speculation about whether he intended for the Senate to soon approve a new batch of Clinton-nominated judges.

Lott, R-Miss., was responding to criticism of fellow Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, who President Clinton said was deliberately trying to keep minorities off the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Well, you know, it's natural and normal for the president to attack Jesse Helms, who is one of the finest gentlemen we have in the Senate," Lott said during an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

"As a matter of fact, within the next two weeks the Senate's going to approve a woman African-American from Nevada to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals."

A Lott spokesman today said he did not know specifically when that might happen and had no other details.

Rawlinson is now a U.S. District judge in Las Vegas, the first black woman in Nevada to hold a seat on that bench.

"I have spoken to the majority leader about Judge Rawlinson and her qualifications, including her current position on the U.S. District Court in Nevada," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said. "Sen. Lott's remarks on Sunday come as welcome news.

"The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has one of the busiest caseloads in the nation, and I am confident that Judge Rawlinson has the skills and the disposition needed to meet that challenge."

Rawlinson's nomination to the 9th Circuit is pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee. She was in Washington June 15 to answer committee questions posed by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

At the time, Grassley said any nomination to the 9th Circuit would be carefully scrutinized because of concerns that the Supreme Court was reversing a high percentage of 9th Circuit decisions.

The 9th Circuit is the federal appeals court serving nine Western states and is the largest of the nation's 13 circuits.

Reid nominated Rawlinson in December, and President Clinton approved the nomination, leaving one last hurdle: the Senate. Clinton has been critical of the Senate for delaying votes on his judicial nominees during this election year.

Just which judicial nominations might be approved this year has been the subject of speculation, although Reid has remained optimistic that the Senate would approve Rawlinson.

One other Nevada judicial nominee is pending, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Linda Riegle of Las Vegas, nominated for U.S. District Court.