Blog 3.5

1. Describe the way most judicial branch nominations went down in Obama's first term.

2. How did Senate Democrats change the rules for nominations in Obama's second term?

3. How did Senate Republicans respond when they gained control of the Senate in 2014?

4. How many vacancies are there in the District Court level?

5. How will the Senate Republicans' gamble pay off significantly now that Trump is the president?

6. When is the hearing on Trump's travel ban Executive Order?

7. What type of court would this be since it's the first time hearing the case?

8. Who are the plaintiffs?

9. How is the lawsuit going to try to turn this into a "class action"? (You definitely remember what a class action lawsuit is, right?)

Answers:

1. "Obama was president, and Democrats controlled the Senate. Republicans largely agreed that, in some sense, this meant he was entitled to fill judicial vacancies with Democratic Party appointees." Generally, the more moderate judges would have the least resistance, but overall, the Republicans made sure to put up a fight against most nominees.

2. They made it impossible to filibuster judicial appointees.

3. They shut down confirmations altogether.

4. "Right now, 10 percent of the seats on the federal district court benches are vacant."

5. The appointment of Neil Gorsuch will go more smoothly.

6. "During a 7:30 pm emergency hearing Saturday in a Brooklyn courthouse, a federal court will consider whether to temporarily halt the deportation of two Iraqi visa-holders detained at JFK International Airport Friday night — and dozens or even hundreds of others who have been detained in airports around the country as a result of the ban." - January 28th

7. It'd be a case of original jurisdiction.

8. Hameed Khalid Darweesh and Haider Sameer Abdulkhaleq Alshawi are "the two men on whose behalf the suit was originally filed."

9a. There are many other people being affected by this ban; the lawyers will, as a result, try to let this decision affect all of those affected by the ban.

9b. Class Action Lawsuit - lawsuits in which a small number of people sue on behalf of all people in similar circumstances