DeAndrea G. Benjamin
2023 - Present
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DeAndrea Gist Benjamin is a judge to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.[1] She was first nominated by President Joe Biden (D) on September 6, 2022.[2][3][4] Benjamin's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[5] The president renominated Benjamin on February 7, 2023. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 9, 2023, by a vote of 53 - 44.[1] To see a full list of judges appointed by Joe Biden, click here.
Benjamin was a circuit court judge for the Fifth Judicial Circuit in South Carolina. She was elected to the court by the South Carolina General Assembly in February 2011 and re-elected in February 2019.[6][7][8] Benjamin left the court in 2023 when she became a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.[9]
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is one of 13 U.S. courts of appeal. They are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit (2023-Present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden
On September 6, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) nominated DeAndrea G. Benjamin to the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.[2] Benjamin's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[10] The president renominated Benjamin on February 7, 2023.[1] She received commission on February 21, 2023.[9] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
Nominee Information |
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Name: DeAndrea G. Benjamin |
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit |
Progress |
Confirmed 156 days after nomination. |
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Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
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Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
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Confirmation vote
Benjamin was confirmed by a 53-44 vote of the U.S. Senate on February 9, 2023.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
DeAndrea G. Benjamin confirmation vote (February 9, 2023) | |||||||||
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Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
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45 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
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5 | 44 | 0 | ||||||
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3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Total | 53 | 44 | 3 |
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Benjamin's nomination on November 15, 2022. Benjamin was reported to the full Senate on December 8, 2022, after a 13-9 committee vote.[11] Benjamin's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[12] The president renominated Benjamin on February 7, 2023.[1] Benjamin was reported to the full Senate on February 2, 2023 after a 12-8 committee vote.[13]
Nomination
On August 9, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate Benjamin to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The president officially nominated Benjamin on September 6, 2022.[2][3] Benjamin's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[14] The president renominated Benjamin on February 7, 2023.[1]
Benjamin was nominated to replace Judge Henry Floyd, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2021.[3]
The American Bar Association (ABA) rated Benjamin Qualified.[15] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Biography
Bildung
Benjamin received her undergraduate degree from Winthrop University in 1994 and her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1997.[7]
Career
Prior to joining the state court, Benjamin served as a municipal judge for the City of Columbia from July 2004 until April 2011. Before she became a judge, Benjamin practiced law at her father's firm, Gist Law Firm, and previously served as a prosecutor for both the 5th Circuit Solicitor's Office and the Attorney General's Office.[7][16] Benjamin joined the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on February 21, 2023.[9]
About the court
Fourth Circuit |
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Court of Appeals |
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Judgeships |
Posts: 15 |
Judges: 15 |
Vacancies: 0 |
Judges |
Chief: Albert Diaz |
Active judges: Steven Agee, DeAndrea G. Benjamin, Nicole Berner, Albert Diaz, Roger Gregory, Pamela Harris, Toby Heytens, Allison Jones Rushing, Robert King, Paul Niemeyer, A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., Julius Richardson, Stephanie Thacker, J. Harvie Wilkinson, James Wynn Senior judges: |
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal appellate court with appellate jurisdiction. It hears appeals from all of the circuit courts within its jurisdiction and its rulings may be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Appeals are heard in the Lewis F. Powell Jr. Federal Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia.
Jurisdiction
The Fourth Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over cases heard in one of its subsidiary districts. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law. Appeals of rulings by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals are petitioned to the Supreme Court of the United States. Chief Justice John Roberts is the circuit justice for the Fourth Circuit.
The court hears appeals from the United States district courts in:
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
- Courts in South Carolina
- South Carolina Circuit Courts
- Judicial selection in South Carolina
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Congress.gov, "PN88 — DeAndrea Gist Benjamin — The Judiciary," accessed January 6, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The White House, "President Biden Names Twenty-Fifth Round of Judicial Nominees," August 9, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Congress.gov, "PN2493 — DeAndrea Gist Benjamin — The Judiciary," accessed September 7, 2022
- ↑ Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," accessed November 18, 2022
- ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑ South Carolina Judicial Department, "Court News: Judicial Elections," accessed December 11, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 South Carolina Judicial Department: Judge DeAndrea G. Benjamin Biography
- ↑ South Carolina Judicial Branch, "Court News: Judicial Elections," accessed June 24, 2019
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 [https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/benjBenjamin, DeAndrea Gist President Biden Names Twenty-Fifth Round of Judicial Nominees," accessed February 23, 2023]
- ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 8, 2022," December 8, 2022
- ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑ Committee on the Judiciary, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 2, 2023," accessed February 3, 2023
- ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑ American Bar Association, "RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES 117th Congress," last updated December 12, 2022
- ↑ South Carolina Judicial Department: Municipal Judge List
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Henry Floyd |
United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
Preceded by - |
South Carolina 5th Circuit Court 2011-2023 |
Succeeded by - |
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Commissioned in 2024 |
John Kazen • John Russell • Margaret Garnett • Cristal Brisco • Jacquelyn Austin • Gretchen Hess Lund • Micah Smith • Joshua Kolar • Karoline Mehalchick • Kirk Sherriff • Lisa Wang • David Leibowitz • Jacqueline Becerra • Julie Sneed • Melissa Damian • Kelly H. Rankin • Nicole Berner • Sunil Harjani • Leon Schydlower • Ernesto Gonzalez • Susan Bazis • Robert White • Ann Marie McIff Allen • Eumi Lee • Krissa Lanham • Eric Schulte • Camela Theeler • Angela Martinez • Jasmine Yoon • Nancy Maldonado • Meredith Vacca • Georgia Alexakis • Joseph Saporito • Amy Baggio • Stacey Neumann | ||
Commissioned in 2023 |
Kai Scott • Tamika Montgomery-Reeves • Margaret R. Guzman • Daniel Calabretta • Matthew Garcia • DeAndrea G. Benjamin • Cindy Chung • Adrienne Nelson • Lindsay Jenkins • Gina Méndez-Miró • Araceli Martínez-Olguín • Jamar Walker • Ana Reyes • Jamal Whitehead • Gordon Gallagher • Matthew Brookman• Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons • Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler • Jonathan Grey• Colleen Lawless • Arun Subramanian • Jessica Clarke • Robert Kirsch • Michael Farbiarz • Anthony Johnstone • Orelia Merchant • Wesley Hsu • Bradley Garcia • LaShonda A. Hunt • Nancy Gbana Abudu • Amanda Brailsford • Darrel Papillion • Jeremy Daniel • Hernan D. Vera • Julie Rikelman • Nusrat Choudhury • P. Casey Pitts • Myong Joun • Kymberly Evanson • Tiffany Cartwright • Rachel Bloomekatz • Natasha Merle • Dale Ho • Philip Hadji • Rita Lin • Brendan Hurson • Vernon D. Oliver • Matthew Maddox • Julia Munley • Brandy McMillion • Susan DeClercq • Julia Kobick • Ramon Reyes, Jr. • Ana de Alba • Kenly Kiya Kato • Mónica Ramírez Almadani • Jeffrey M. Bryan • Jamel Semper • Irma Ramirez • Richard Federico • Loren AliKhan • Brandon Long • Jerry Edwards Jr.• Sara Hill • Joseph Laroski | ||
Commissioned in 2022 | David Herrera Urias • Gabriel Sanchez • Holly Thomas • Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong • David Ruiz • Charles Fleming • Bridget Brennan • Leonard Stark • Alison J. Nathan • John Chun • Julie Rubin • Jacqueline Scott Corley • Ruth Bermudez Montenegro • Victoria Calvert • Georgette Castner • Anne Traum • Cristina Silva • Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) • Sarah Geraghty • Hector Gonzalez • Fred Slaughter • Jennifer Rochon • Robert Huie • Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci • Jeffery P. Hopkins | ||
Commissioned in 2021 |
Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi • Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley • Florence Pan • Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn • Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams • Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens • Michael Nachmanoff • Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston • Stephen Locher • Charlotte Sweeney • Nina Nin-Yuen Wang • Arianna Freeman • Jerry Blackwell |
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of South Carolina • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of South Carolina
State courts:
South Carolina Supreme Court • South Carolina Court of Appeals • South Carolina Circuit Courts • South Carolina Masters-in-Equity • South Carolina Family Courts • South Carolina Magistrate Courts • South Carolina Municipal Courts • South Carolina Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in South Carolina • South Carolina judicial elections • Judicial selection in South Carolina
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia
State courts:
Virginia Supreme Court • Virginia Court of Appeals • Virginia Circuit Courts • Virginia District Courts • Virginia Magistrates
State resources:
Courts in Virginia • Virginia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Virginia