David Stras confirmed to Eighth Circuit

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras had essentially the entire Minnesota professional community supporting his nomination by President Trump to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Thanks to Al Franken, however, the nomination sat in limbo for six months. Mistah Franken–he dead. He revealed his true jerkhood in the matter of Justice Stras. The single blue slip veto applicable to federal appellate court nominees was interred with his bones.

Today Justice Stras was confirmed to the Eighth Circuit by the Senate on a 56-42 vote. The Star Tribune reports the story here. Even Amy Klobuchar supported his confirmation (while Franken successor Tina Smith opposed it).

I don’t think anyone outside Justice Stras’s immediate family supported Justice Stras’s confirmation more ardently than I did. His ordeal is over. I am thrilled for him, for his family, and for the Eighth Circuit. He has a great contribution to make.

On the home front, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton will continue his makeover of the Minnesota Supreme Court. For those keeping track of such things, however, chalk the Stras confirmation up as another Trump win on the merits with the backing of Senate Majority Leader McConnell and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley.

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