On the recordAugust 2, 2012
I am very pleased that the Senate is now taking up the nomination of Gershwin Drain to be a judge on the Eastern District Court of Michigan. Judge Drain has an impressive legal career. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and then went on to earn a master's of judicial studies degree in 1991. He has served with distinction as a trial judge for over two decades in all three of our trial courts, from the lowest court, which is a so-called district court, to the recorder's court and the circuit court. He has demonstrated a career-long dedication to helping the people understand how our legal system works. As a longtime columnist for the Michigan Chronicle newspaper, he has explained often-complex legal issues in language accessible to lay readers, broadening understanding of and appreciation for our courts. Beyond his writing, Judge Drain has been very active in the community, including membership on the education committee of the Southfield Christian School Board. It is important to note that the confirmation of Judge Drain would help to remedy the judicial emergency in the Eastern District of Michigan. Vacancies and caseloads in the Eastern District meet the Federal judicial system's definition of an emergency. These judicial emergencies lead to delays and, even worse, to the risk of rushed judgments that could deprive Americans of the impartial justice that is so much a necessary component of our democratic system of government.…





