On the recordApril 21, 2010
there are two judicial nominees on the calendar from North Carolina who I believe would be confirmed by this body overwhelmingly. Judges Jim Wynn and Al Diaz, nominees for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, were both approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in January. Judge Diaz had the vote of every single member of the committee, and just one Senator opposed Judge Wynn. The reality of this situation, though, is that North Carolina has been waiting for one of these judges since 1994. That is 1994. Since then, there has been only one judge from North Carolina on the 15-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, even though North Carolina is the largest and fastest growing of the five States in the Fourth Circuit. Partisan bickering has continually blocked qualified North Carolinians from confirmation since the court's establishment back in 1891. But in consultation with both me and Senator Burr, the President has appointed two highly qualified, experienced, and fairminded North Carolina judges: Al Diaz and Jim Wynn. Judge Diaz, of Charlotte, a Business Court judge, handles extremely complex business cases. Before that, he was a State superior court judge. Judge Wynn, of Cary, is a 19-year veteran of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and formerly served on the North Carolina Supreme Court. The American Bar Association has given them both its highest possible rating. They both have served our country in the military.
