from staff
Fourth Judicial Circuit Judge Brian J. Davis is one of four finalists announced for the U.S. District Judge seat for the Middle District of Florida.
The Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission submitted the names Aug. 5 in a letter to the U.S. senators from Florida, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio.
The letter, from commission statewide Chair John M. Fitzgibbons, said the four finalists were Davis, U.S. Magistrate Judges Sheri Polster Chappell in the Fort Myers Division and Elizabeth A. Jenkins in the Tampa Division and Fifth
District Appeals Judge C. Alan Lawson.
Fitzgibbons, of The Law Offices of John M. Fitzgibbons of Tampa, said the commission’s Middle District Conference met Aug. 4 in Orlando to interview applications for the Middle District vacancy.
It also has submitted names for finalists for three other vacancies, consisting of district judicial seats in the Northern and Southern districts and for U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Florida.
“Accordingly, the current work of the Commission is now complete,” said Fitzgibbons in the letter.
Six of the 13 applicants chosen to interview Aug. 4 for the Middle District seat had Jacksonville connections. The 13 were chosen from a pool of 28.
District court judges, Supreme Court justices and court of appeals judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, as stated in the Constitution, reports www.uscourts.gov.
The names of potential nominees often are recommended by senators or sometimes by members of the House who are of the President’s political party.
The Senate Judiciary Committee typically conducts confirmation hearings for each nominee, according to the site. Article III of the Constitution states that the judicial officers are appointed for a life term.