Obama nominates new Idaho federal judge: 6th District Judge David Nye
Idaho finally has a new federal district judge nominee, with the announcement today from the White House that Idaho 6th District Judge David Nye will be submitted to the Senate for confirmation.
“I am pleased to nominate Judge Nye to serve on the United States District Court bench,” President Barack Obama said in a White House news release. “I am confident he will serve the American people with distinction.”
Idaho’s been down to just one U.S. district judge since last July, when longtime Judge Edward Lodge took senior status and reduced his caseload to 75 percent; he’d announced his plans to do that in September of 2014. After Lodge took senior status, just U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill was left in the District of Idaho; the federal court system declared a “judicial emergency” due to the shortage of judges, and Idaho began tapping out-of-state judges to hear Idaho cases.
Federal district judges, who serve for life, are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. But under current Senate practices, the two home-state senators have a virtual veto over any White House nominee, forcing them to work together with the White House.
Idaho’s two GOP senators, Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, held a lengthy and secretive process in which they personally interviewed an array of applicants. According to multiple sources, at least two previous candidates were suggested to the Obama Administration by the two senators, including Boise attorney Erika Malmen, who had failed to make the short list when she applied through a merit process for a state judgeship last year; and Idaho 5th District Judge Richard Bevan, whose potential nomination was lauded by Idaho lawyers from both parties. Bevan reportedly had a White House interview in January, but then was dropped from consideration.
Nye, who was an attorney with the firm Merrill & Merrill in Pocatello for 20 years, was appointed a district judge by Gov. Butch Otter in 2007, and re-elected without opposition in 2014. He holds both bachelor’s and law degrees from Brigham Young University.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Nye specialized in medical malpractice and insurance law.
