Judiciary Statement--Nominations of Adams, Junell, Otero to District Courts

JUDICIARY STATEMENT: "NOMINATIONS OF ADAMS, JUNELL, OTERO TO DISTRICT COURTS"

Before we begin, I would like to congratulate all three of these nominees on being selected by President Bush for these important positions. It is a pleasure to have nominees before this committee who have distinguished themselves with hard work and great intellect. I would now like to welcome our District Court nominees here today and say a few words about them.

John Randell Adams, Jr., our nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, has extensive experience in both the private and public sectors of the legal community. Upon graduation from Akron University School of Law, Judge Adams clerked for Judge W.F. Spicer of the Court of Common Pleas. After clerking, Judge Adams spent five years in private practice as an associate with an Akron area law firm, handling criminal, civil, domestic and probate matters. Judge Adams then spent three years as an assistant prosecutor at the Summit County Prosecutor's Office, where he handled civil matters, representing various office holders of Summit County. From 1989 to 1999, Judge Adams was an associate and partner at the law firm of Kaufmann & Kaufmann, where he focused his practice in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust law. Since 1999, Judge Adams has served on the Court of Common Pleas for Summit County, presiding over cases involving a wide range of legal issues.

Our second nominee this morning is Robert A. Junell. Mr. Junell comes before this committee as our nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. He has a stellar record, distinguishing himself both as an advocate and a legislator. Mr. Junell has over 25 years of civil litigation experience and 14 years of service as a Representative in the Texas State Legislature. After graduating from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1976, Mr. Junell became a litigator representing a variety of clients including: insurance companies, plaintiffs in personal injury cases, political sub-divisions in litigation, and businesses involved in commercial litigation. In1988, Mr. Junell, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives as the Representative for District 72. He has given numerous speeches to organizations within the state and has received numerous awards for his service as a legislator and his general work within the community.

Last but certainly not lease, Judge S. James Otero, our nominee for the Central District Court of California, has been a valuable member of the California legal community since he graduated from Stanford Law School in 1976. Judge Otero was a Deputy City Attorney in Los Angeles for 10 years, handling approximately 130 Superior Court and Municipal Court cases during his tenure. Since being nominated to the bench in 1988, Judge Otero has served on both the Los Angeles Superior and Municipal Courts. Judge Otero has a rich background in community assistance, especially through his work with the Salesian Boys and Girls Club & Salesian Family Youth Center.

I am confident that all three of these fine nominees have the intellect, experience, and temperament necessary to serve with distinction on the federal courts to which they have been nominated. I look forward to hearing from them today and to working with my colleagues to bring their nominations to a vote very soon. It is a pleasure to welcome each of you to our committee. Let me now turn to the distinguished ranking democratic member for his opening remarks, and then we will offer our nominees a chance to introduce their very patient family and friends that they have brought with them today.