Todd E. Edelman
Todd Eric Edelman (born January 16, 1968)[2] is an American lawyer who has served as an associate judge for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia since 2010. He is a nominee to be a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Todd Edelman | |
---|---|
Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia | |
Assumed office 2010 | |
Appointed by | Barack Obama |
Preceded by | Cheryl M. Long |
Personal details | |
Born | Todd Eric Edelman January 16, 1968[1] St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
Education | Yale University (BA) New York University (JD) |
Early life and education
Edelman was born in 1968, in St. Louis, Missouri.[3] He received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in 1990 from Yale University. He received a Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 1994 from the New York University School of Law.
Career
Edelman began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge William B. Bryant of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, from 1994 to 1995. From 1995 to 1997, he was an E. Barrett Prettyman Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center. He worked for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia from 1997 to 2005, during which time he served as a staff attorney for the Trial Division from 1997 to 2001, a supervising attorney for the Trial Division from 2001 to 2002, the chief of the Serious Felony Section from 2002 to 2004, and the training director from 2004 to 2005. From 2005 to 2008, he was of counsel at the law firm Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C. in Washington, D.C. From 2008 to 2010, he was a visiting associate professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center. He has served as an associate judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia since 2010.[4]
Notable cases
In 2020, Edelman presided over the trial of Christian Wingfield on charges of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. Edelman released Wingfield with an ankle monitor instead of keeping him in jail during the trial. Shortly after his release, Wingfield was involved in the murder of a 10-year-old boy, Davon McNeal, on July 4, 2020, while attending a "stop-the-violence" cookout. Winfield subsequently pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter.[5]
Expired nomination to the U.S. district court
On April 28, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Edelman to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, to the seat vacated by Judge Richard W. Roberts, who retired on March 16, 2016. His nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.[6]
Renomination to U.S. district court under Biden
On July 29, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Edelman to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.[7] On September 27, 2022, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Edelman to the seat vacated by Judge Florence Y. Pan, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.[8] On November 15, 2022, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[9] Republicans fiercely criticized Edelman as pro-criminal and anti public safety. In particular, they attacked his handling of the trial of Christian Wingfield. Edelman released Wingfield before trial with an ankle monitor. Shortly after his release, Wingfield was involved in the murder of a 10-year-old boy at a July 4, 2020, cookout. "A child is dead because Judge Edelman didn't do his job, and now he wants a promotion," said Senator Marsha Blackburn after the hearing. Senator Tom Cotton remarked, "Crime in DC and around the country is skyrocketing, no thanks to lenient, liberal judges like Judge Edelman."[5] On January 3, 2023, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. He was renominated on January 23, 2023.[10] On February 9, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote.[11] His nomination is pending before the United States Senate.
References
- "Questionnaire for Nominees to the District of Columbia Courts" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. April 20, 2010. p. 158. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. November 15, 2022.
- "Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire" (PDF).
- "President Obama Nominates Eight to Serve on United States District Courts". whitehouse.gov. April 28, 2016.
- Herlihy, Brianna (November 17, 2022). "Biden's judicial nominee released man who was later involved in murder of 10-year-old at July 4th cookout". Fox News.
- "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov. April 28, 2016.
- "President Biden Names Twenty-Fourth Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. September 27, 2022.
- "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. November 15, 2022.
- "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. January 23, 2023.
- "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 9, 2023" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved February 9, 2023.