Senate Confirms Blatantly Unqualified Judicial Nominee Jonathan Kobes

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 11, 2018 – Following today’s Senate vote to confirm Jonathan Kobes to a seat on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:

“Jonathan Kobes is blatantly unqualified for a lifetime seat on the federal bench – but thanks to his highly partisan credentials, Republicans in the Senate have seen fit to ram through his nomination. His confirmation endangers the rights of millions of people in the Eighth Circuit and the country. By confirming Kobes, the majority of Senate Republicans have proven they are willing to ignore any and all deficiencies in a nominee’s record in order to pack our courts with partisan yes-men who will continue to rubber-stamp this administration’s dangerous agenda.”

The current active judges on the Eighth Circuit are the following:

Jonathan Kobes (South Dakota) – Trump
James Loken (Minnesota) – G.H.W. Bush
Lavenski Smith (Arkansas) – G.W. Bush
Steve Colloton (Iowa) – G.W. Bush
Raymond Gruender (Missouri) – G.W. Bush
William Benton (Missouri) – G.W. Bush
Bobby Shepherd (Arkansas) – G.W. Bush
Jane Kelly (Iowa) – Obama
Ralph Erickson (North Dakota) – Trump (Obama originally nominated Jennifer Puhl, who never received a vote by McConnell)
Steve Grasz (Nebraska) – Trump
David Stras (Minnesota) – Trump