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State appeals court judge confirmed to federal bench Friday, Apr 11, 2008 By Aaron Sadler Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - The Senate on Thursday confirmed to a U.S. district judge position in Arkansas a popular state appellate court judge who drew no public opposition. Senators voted 88-0 to name Judge Brian S. Miller of Helena as district court judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Miller, 40, replaces the late Judge George Howard of Pine Bluff. Howard died in April 2007. Miller was nominated by President Bush last year. He was endorsed by the state's congressional delegation, and he breezed through a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year. The American Bar Association gave Miller a "qualified" ranking, which indicates he meets his colleagues' standards for ethics and judicial temperament. Attorneys throughout Arkansas have praised the appointment. "It's one of the few occasions when I did not hear a single person criticize his possible nomination," Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said in a speech on the Senate floor. "While this body has seen more than its share of polarizing nominees, Judge Miller is a rare exception. He brought integrity and impartiality to the bench." Miller was appointed by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee to the state Court of Appeals in January 2007. Before that, he was a Phillips County deputy prosecutor and Helena city attorney. The Vanderbilt University law graduate was one of the first interns for Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., when she was elected to the House in 1993. Lincoln, also a Helena native, called Miller a "tough but fair litigator who is a respected prosecutor and tireless advocate." Both Lincoln and Pryor last year urged the president to nominate a black person to fill the vacancy left by Howard, the state's first and only black U.S. district court judge. Miller was one of three black candidates considered by the White House out of six names submitted by Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers. Boozman, as the state's only Republican in Congress, is Bush's main contact on in-state appointments. U.S. district judges make $169,300 a year. A spokesman for Gov. Mike Beebe said there is no set time frame for picking a replacement for Miller on the appeals court. Miller's term ends in January. Waymond Brown and Eugene Hunt, both of Pine Bluff, are seeking the appeals court slot in the May 20 nonpartisan judicial election. |
