The South Asian Bar Association is applauding the confirmation of conservative Justice Amul Thapar to the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Sixth District, reports DNA.
In California, the first Filipino American has been appointed to serve as a judge in Contra Costa County, east of San Francisco.
Thapar is the first Indian American to be nominated by President Trump. He was confirmed by a 52-44 vote.
“Judge Thapar’s confirmation further cements his legacy as a pioneer, esteemed jurist and dedicated public servant. We anticipate that Judge Thapar’s renowned dedication to his craft and commendable judicial temperament will serve him well in this integral position,” said SABA president Vichal Kumar..
Indian American attorney Ravi Batra predicted Thapar will be a judge in the mold of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Politico reported the confirmation of Thapar was not without controversy. The Senate bypassed a century old tradition that a judicial nominee would not be advanced without the support of both of his Senators.
“As in Justice Gorsuch’s case, those radical groups are committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure that Judge Thapar sits on the nation’s highest courts,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. “For those groups, the goal is not just to get a few ultraconservative judges on our federal courts. It is to capture the entire judicial branch.”
Less controversial was the appointment of Benjamin Reyes to the Contra Costa Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown. The Inquirer reports he is the son of Filipino immigrants and public servants. Reyes has been an attorney at Meyers, Nave, Riback, Silver & Wilson PLC since 2005 and is only the second Filipino American judge in the nine Bay Area counties.
