3 Judge Panel In DeLay Ballot Case Named

The sputtering and yelping you hear (gosh that is loud, isn't it?) is Republicans in TX-22 reacting to the announcement that two of the three judges that will hear the Texas Democratic Party vs. Benkiser case on July 31st were appointed by Clinton. The third was appointed by Dubya. And, here you have them:

Benavides, Fortunato Pedro

Born 1947 in Mission, TX

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Nominated by William J. Clinton on January 27, 1994, to a seat vacated by Thomas Gibbs Gee; Confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 1994, and received commission on May 9, 1994.

Education:
University of Houston, B.B.A., 1968

University of Houston Law Center, J.D., 1972

Professional Career:
Private practice, McAllen, Texas, 1972-1977
Judge, Hidalgo County Court-at-Law #2, 1977-1979
Private practice, McAllen, Texas, 1980-1981
Judge, 92nd District Court of Hidalgo, 1981-1984
Judge, 13th Court of Appeals for Texas, 1984-1991
Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, 1991-1992
Visiting judge, Supreme Court of Texas, 1993
Private practice, McAllen, Texas, 1993-1994

Race or Ethnicity: Hispanic

Gender: Male

Dennis, James L.

Born 1936 in Monroe, LA

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Nominated by William J. Clinton on January 31, 1995, to a seat vacated by Charles Clark; Confirmed by the Senate on September 28, 1995, and received commission on October 2, 1995.

Education:
Louisiana Tech University, B.A., 1959

Louisiana State University Law School, J.D., 1962

University of Virginia School of Law, LL.M., 1984

Professional Career:
U.S. Army, 1955-1957
Private practice, Monroe, Louisiana, 1962-1972
Member, Louisiana House of Representatives, 1968-1972
Judge, Fourth District Court of Louisiana, 1972-1974
Judge, Court of Appeals of Louisiana, Second Circuit, Louisiana 1974-1975
Associate justice, Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1975-1995

Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Male

Clement, Edith Brown

Born 1948 in Birmingham, AL

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
Nominated by George H.W. Bush on October 1, 1991, to a seat vacated by Charles Schwartz, Jr.; Confirmed by the Senate on November 21, 1991, and received commission on November 25, 1991. Served as chief judge, 2001-2001. Service terminated on November 27, 2001, due to appointment to another judicial position.

Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Nominated by George W. Bush on September 4, 2001, to a seat vacated by John M. Duhe, Jr.; Confirmed by the Senate on November 13, 2001, and received commission on November 26, 2001.

Education:
University of Alabama, B.A., 1969

Tulane Law School, J.D., 1972

Professional Career:
Law clerk, Hon. Herbert W. Christenberry, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1973-1975
Private practice, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1975-1991

Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Female

Things are just not going the Republicans way in my district this year. The poor innocents went to the ballot box (I use that term loosely, in Fort Bend we vote on an etch-a-sketch looking thing and our votes disappear into the ethernet) in March and voted for Former Majority Leader Dude, Tom DeLay. Next thing you know, he cuts and runs to Virginia, then Northern California, then back to his doorstep in Sugar Land. I seem to remember a felony indictment or two along the way. They've had to deal with the Seven Dwarves side show with one of them dressed all in pink. There have been pretend surveys and pretend petitions to the court. They've had one judge already rule against them.

As a new friend of mine said a couple of nights ago, all that's left to do is push that stake in a little further into the heart of the Republican party, twist it and get it over with.

As usual, The Beauty Shop was the first to get news of the judges. Juanita gets all the best scoops!