Senior Judge Thomas G. Nelson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has died at age 74 at his Boise home; click here for a full announcement from the court. Nelson was named to the Court of Appeals by President George H.W. Bush in 1990; he took senior status in 2003 but continued hearing cases through 2009. Prior to his judicial appointment, Nelson was an attorney in private practice in Twin Falls.