Democrats urge debate end on Arkansas judge nominee

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats will move to cut off debate on the federal district judge nomination of James Moody when the Senate returns from its break later this month in an attempt to hold a final vote before Moody has to decide whether to seek re-election as a judge in Pulaski County Circuit Court.

Wednesday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., filed ‘cloture’ motions on several district judges, including Moody, setting up votes when the Senate returns Feb. 24.

It’ll take 60 votes to limit debate and proceed to a final vote if a senator objects to the move.

Filing for the 2014 election starts Feb. 24 and ends March 3. The nonpartisan judicial election is May 20.

On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., asked for a vote on Arkansas’ nominees. Wednesday morning, he went to the Senate floor and said he couldn’t tell Moody whether to run for re-election or wait for the Senate to act.

“I can’t give him my word. I can’t tell him, no, judge, don’t file for re-election, just go ahead and wait and trust that this is going to happen. I can’t do that under the circumstances. So he’s in limbo and the problem is there are other lawyers and judges in Arkansas that want to run for his position,”

Arkansas has another pending nominee, Timothy Brooks of Fayetteville, who was nominated to fill a vacant U.S. district judgeship in the Western District of Arkansas. His nomination was not moved forward.

Arkansas, Pages 13 on 02/13/2014

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