(Host) A state court judge from Essex Junction has been recommended to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for Vermont.
Judge Christina Reiss would be the first woman to sit on a federal court in Vermont if she’s formally nominated by the president, and confirmed by the Senate.
Senator Patrick Leahy recommended Reiss to President Obama. Presidents typically follow the recommendation of the senior senator in a state when there’s a judicial vacancy.
A commission appointed by Leahy and Senator Bernie Sanders reviewed the qualifications of lawyers who were interested in filling the Vermont seat.
It was vacated by Judge Garvan Murtha when he chose to take "senior status" earlier this year. Senior judges don’t formally retire, but they preside over far fewer cases than active judges.