Yesterday Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for President, issued a press release with the names of 11 judges that are on his short list to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.
One judge on that list was Associate Justice David R. Stras from the Minnesota Supreme Court. Justice Stras has served on the Minnesota Supreme Court since 2010.
The 41-year-oldAssociate Justice graduated from the Univeristy of Kansas. From there he became a Clerk forJustice Thomas in Washington D.C. He later taught at the University of Minnesota Law School where he was also the Co-Director of the Institute of Law and Politics.
Justice Stras in 2012 said that:
“a judge’s job is to faithfully interpret and apply theConstitution and laws passed by our elected representatives, without favor toward any political party, power broker, or special interest group. Judges should decide cases in an impartial, even-handed, and objective manner, not follow their own political leanings or policy preferences. Being a judge is not, and should not be, a political job.”
Trump, who praised the Late Justice Scalia in yesterday’s press release called him, “a remarkable person and brilliant justice….who did not believe in legislating from the bench and he is a person whom I held in the highest regard and will always greatly respect his intelligence and conviction to uphold the Constitution of our country.”
President Obama’s current nominee U.S. Circuit Judge Merrick B. Garland has been waiting. House Democrats want to pressure Republicans into the nomination process by forcing Congress to remain in session during summer recess should hearings not start before July 19.
Should Stras receive the nomination and be appointed next year, he would be the first Minnesotan sent to the bench since Chief Justice Warren Burger, who grew up in St. Paul and left the bench in 1986.
Also included on Trump’s short list are Steve Colloton of Iowa, Allison Eid of Colorado, Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, Diane Syke of Wisconsin, Raymond Gruender of Missouri, Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania, Joan Larsen of Michigan, Thomas Lee of Utah, William Pryor of Alabama, and Don Willett of Texas.
Preya Samsundar
Preya Samsundar was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN. She graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Preya has previously worked on several State Campaign Races.