Benjamin Beaton

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Benjamin Joel Beaton
Image of Benjamin Joel Beaton

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
Tenure

2020 - Present

Years in position

3

Education

High school

Paducah Tilghman High School, 1999

Bachelor's

Centre College, 2003

Law

Columbia Law School, 2009

Personal
Birthplace
Paducah, Ky.
Contact

Personal LinkedIn 

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Benjamin J. Beaton is a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. He was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on September 8, 2020, and confirmed by a 52-44 vote of the U.S. Senate on November 17, 2020. He received his judicial commission on December 1, 2020. To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Beaton was a partner at Squire Patton Boggs LLP from 2018 to 2020. From 2011 to 2012, he was a law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On September 8, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Beaton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. He was confirmed by a 52-44 vote of the U.S. Senate on November 17, 2020. He received commission on December 1, 2020.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Benjamin Beaton
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
Progress
Confirmed 70 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: September 8, 2020
ApprovedAABA Rating: Majority well qualified/Minority qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: September 9, 2020
QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: October 22, 2020 
ApprovedAConfirmed: November 17, 2020
ApprovedAVote: 52-44

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Beaton by a vote of 52-44 on November 17, 2020.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Beaton confirmation vote (November 12, 2020)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 2 42 1
Ends.png Republican 50 0 3
Grey.png Independent 0 2 0
Total 52 44 4
Change in Senate rules
See also:
Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress
Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
United States federal courts

Beaton was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.

On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[2]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[3]

It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[4] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.


Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Beaton had his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 9, 2020.[5] Beaton's nomination was reported to the full Senate on October 22, 2020, after a 12-0 committee vote. No Democratic committee members were present to advance his nomination.[6]

Nomination

On August 12, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Beaton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.[7] The president officially submitted the nomination on September 8.[1]

Beaton was nominated to replace Judge Justin Walker, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on June 18, 2020.

Beaton received the support of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R). Click here to read McConnell's statement on Beaton's nomination.

The American Bar Association rated Beaton well qualified by a majority and qualified by a minority for the position.[8] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Early life and education

Beaton was born in Paducah, Kentucky, in 1981.[9] He graduated in 1999 from Paducah Tilghman High School. He earned his B.A., summa cum laude, in government from Centre College in 2003. Beaton obtained his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2009. During his legal studies, he served as an articles editor on the Columbia Law Review.[7][10]

Professional career

Awards and associations

Awards

  • 2018: International Municipal Lawyers Association Amicus Service Award
  • 2017: Centre College Distinguished Young Alumnus Award
  • 2016-2017: Sidley Austin Vincent F. Prada Pro Bono Award
  • 2012: American Inns of Court Temple Bar Scholar (2012)
  • D.C. Bar Pro Bono Honor Roll
    • 2016, 2017: High Honor Roll
    • 2014, 2018: Honor Roll[9]

Associations

  • 2019-present, 2014-2017: American Inns of Court
  • 2019-present: Louis D. Brandeis Inn of Court, Louisville, Kentucky
  • 2019-present, 2006-2009: The Federalist Society
    • 2019-present: Programming coordinator, Northern Kentucky Lawyers chapter
    • 2006-2009: Columbia Law School chapter
  • 2017-present: Board of trustees, Centre College
    • 2020-present: Governance committee
    • 2019-present: Vice chair, Finance committee
    • 2017-2019: Academic affairs committee
    • 2017-2019: Planning committee
  • 2018-2020: Federal Bar Association
  • 2017-2019: Co-founder, Kentucky Business Council
  • 2014-2017: Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court, Washington, D.C.
  • 2014-2017: Centre College President's Advisory Council
  • 2011-2018: American Bar Association[9]

About the court

Western District of Kentucky
Sixth Circuit
KY-WD.gif
Judgeships
Posts: 5
Judges: 5
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief: Greg N. Stivers
Active judges: Benjamin Joel Beaton, Claria Horn Boom, David J. Hale, Rebecca Grady Jennings, Greg N. Stivers

Senior judges:
Joseph McKinley, Thomas Russell, Charles Simpson


The United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky is one of 94 United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit based in downtown Cincinnati at the Potter A. Stewart Federal Courthouse and Building.

The Western District of Kentucky has five authorized judicial posts. The chief judge of the court is Greg N. Stivers, who was appointed by President Barack Obama (D). Three of the judges on the court were appointed by Donald Trump (R).

The Counties of the Western District of Kentucky (click for larger map)

The Western District of Kentucky has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

There are four court divisions, each covering the following counties:

The Bowling Green Division, covering Adair, Allen, Barren, Butler, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Green, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Russell, Simpson, Taylor, Todd, and Warren counties.

The Louisville Division, covering Breckinridge, Bullitt, Hardin, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Spencer, and Washington counties.

The Owensboro Division, covering Daviess, Grayson, Hancock, Henderson, Hopkins, McLean, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Union, and Webster counties.

The Paducah Division, covering Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, McCracken, Marshall, and Trigg counties.

To read opinions published by this court, click here.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Congress.gov, "PN2205 — Benjamin Joel Beaton — The Judiciary," accessed September 8, 2020
  2. ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
  3. ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
  4. ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
  5. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," September 9, 2020
  6. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," October 22, 2020
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees," August 12, 2020
  8. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed September 9, 2020
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees," accessed October 22, 2020

Political offices
Preceded by
- 		United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
2020-Present		 Succeeded by
-


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