The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted yesterday to advance three of six pending nominations for the Southern District of New York. One nominee, Jesse Furman, the deputy chief appellate attorney in the Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office, faced tough questions during his confirmation hearing. Republican senators asked about opinion columns he wrote in college, which he disavowed, and a brief he wrote in private practice about the use of public school facilities by religious students. Mr. Furman said he would follow precedent in establishment-clause cases.
Senators moved ahead with all the nominations on a voice vote. In addition to Mr. Furman, they are Day Pitney partner Edgardo Ramos and Eastern District Magistrate Judge Andrew Carter Jr. They join two other nominees who have been endorsed by the committee—Katherine B. Forrest and Alison J. Nathan. Those five nominations have moved on to the full Senate. A confirmation hearing has not been scheduled for Ronnie Abrams. Nominations have not been made for two vacant senior judgeships.
