Wednesday, November 16, 2011
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Senate Confirms Alameda Judge to Federal Court Bench
By MARC B. HAEFELE, Staff Writer
By an 89-6 voice vote, the U.S. Senate yesterday confirmed Alameda County Superior Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to the U.S. District Court’s Northern District of California.
The six opposing votes reportedly included three prominent Republican conservatives: Jim DeMint of South Carolina; Marco Rubio of Florida and Minority Leader Mitch McConell of Kentucky.
Rogers, 46, is said to be the first Latina on the Northern bench. She was appointed by President Obama May 4. She replaces former Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who retired early this year.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who recommended Rogers for the position, said: “With a successful career in private practice and on the superior court bench, Judge Gonzalez Rogers has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to serving her community and to applying our country’s laws fairly and faithfully.”
Born in 1965 in Houston, Texas, Rogers graduated cum laude from Princeton University and from the University of Texas Law School. She joined the San Francisco firm of Cooley Godward (now Cooley LLP) from 1991 to 2003, where she became partner and special counsel. She then served as a foreperson of the Alameda County Grand Jury and served as Pro-Tem Superior Court Judge. In 2008, then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her to the Alameda County Superior Court.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, Rogers is the fifth judge confirmed to the 14-member Northern District in Obama’s term of office. The newspaper reported that the court now has three remaining vacancies to fill.
A Piedmont resident, Rogers is married to Matthew C. Rogers, who has reportedly served in several positions in the Obama administration. According to the Mercury News, he recently served as a senior advisor with the Department of Energy.
Also yesterday former Alaska Superior Court Presiding Judge Sharon Gleason was confirmed to a District Court post for the District of Alaska. According to a statement by U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, who recommended her to the president, Gleason will be the first woman to sit on the Alaska federal bench.
In a Capitol floor speech, Begich praised Gleason yesterday: “Judge Gleason is one of Alaska’s finest. She is compassionate, well-rounded and possesses an amplitude of common sense…she has been specially praised for her judicial temperament, her fairness on the bench and especially for her pioneering work on behalf of families and children.”
Judge Gleason was also recommended to Obama by Begich’s fellow U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who said Gleason “scored high” on “legal ability, impartiality, integrity and temperament.”
A graduate of UC Davis School of Law, Gleason is to replace U.S. District Judge John Sedwick, who recently accepted the post of senior judge.
Copyright 2011, Metropolitan News Company