Warner & Kaine Announce Eastern District Of Virginia Judicial Recommendations

To fill opening for U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine sent a letter to the White House recommending U.S. Magistrate Judge Roderick C. Young and U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller for the vacancy in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division. 

“We are pleased to recommend U.S. Magistrate Judge Roderick C. Young and U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller for the vacancy in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division, following the decision by Judge Rebecca Beach Smith to take senior status effective August 1, 2019. Both Judge Young and Judge Miller would serve with great distinction and have our highest recommendation,” the Senators said.

Warner and Kaine recommend these individuals based on the assessments of an independent panel of attorneys from across the Commonwealth as well as feedback from numerous bar associations in Virginia. The White House will now nominate one individual for the position to be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The nomination is subject to confirmation by the full Senate.

Full text of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division letter is available here and below.

March 19, 2020

The Honorable Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

            We are pleased to recommend U.S. Magistrate Judge Roderick C. Young and U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller for the vacancy in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division, following the decision by Judge Rebecca Beach Smith to take senior status effective August 1, 2019. Both Judge Young and Judge Miller would serve with great distinction and have our highest recommendation.

            Judge Young has served as a Magistrate Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, since 2014. In this capacity, he has drafted over 300 Report and Recommendations and presided over close to 300 settlement conferences. From 2002 to 2014, he worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, serving as Deputy Criminal Supervisor from 2012 to 2014. In that position, he supervised all drug and violent crime prosecutions, reviewed all indictments, and approved all charging decisions and plea agreements, all while litigating his own cases. Recommendations from various Bar Associations and their individual members within the Commonwealth reflect that practitioners would respect his rulings and that litigants would have reassurance of receiving a fair trial.

            Likewise, we recommend Judge Miller, who has served with distinction as U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia since 2010. During this time, he has presided over criminal and civil matters, and has conducted numerous bench trials. Judge Miller has resolved most civil cases through dispositive motions practice and successful settlement conferences. He has written numerous reports and recommendations to the Article III judges on the Eastern District bench, and has authored over 400 opinions. Judge Miller exhibits the professionalism, integrity, and fairness sought in a sitting Article III judge, and he has been deeply devoted to his community and the Peninsula area where he resides.                   

            Ultimately, we believe either of these individuals would win confirmation from the Senate and serve capably on the bench. We are honored to recommend them to you.

Sincerely,

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