Nomination of George Levi Russell III, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, first, I thank Senator Mikulski for her leadership on the process we have used in Maryland on filling judicial vacancies. I am very proud to work with Senator Mikulski in a process that screens lawyers who are interested in becoming Federal judges in order that we can get the very best to recommend to the President.

We think the President has chosen the very best in Judge Russell to fill the district court vacancy for the District of Maryland. But I really wanted to applaud my colleague in the Senate for the seriousness that we both take on filling these vacancies. We understand these are lifetime appointments. We want to make sure we get individuals who have the qualifications, who have the temperament, who have the integrity, and have the commitment to public service to serve our judiciary.

I rise today to urge the Senate to confirm Judge George Levi Russell III, of Maryland, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland. Judge Russell was reported by voice vote out of the Judiciary Committee on February 16. Judge Russell currently sits as a trial judge in the Baltimore City Circuit Court.

Judge Russell is an excellent candidate. He received bipartisan support from the Judiciary Committee and is ready to take office upon confirmation of the Senate. Judge Russell brings a wealth of experience to this position in both State and Federal courts. Earlier in his career he served as a Federal prosecutor and as an attorney in private law practice. He now sits as a State court trial judge in Maryland.

Judge Russell graduated from Moorehouse College with a B.A. in political science and a J.D. from the Maryland Law School in 1991. He passed the Maryland Bar and was admitted to practice in Maryland in 1991. He then clerked for Chief Judge Robert Bell on the Maryland Court of Appeals, which is our highest State court. He worked as a litigation associate for 2 years at Hazel & Thomas, and then briefly at Whiteford, Taylor. He then served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland from 1994 to 1999, handling civil cases. In that capacity he represented various Federal Government agencies in discrimination, accident, and medical malpractice cases. He then worked as an associate at the Peter Angelos law firm for 2 years.

In 2002, he went back to the U.S. Attorney's Office, handling criminal cases until 2007. He represented the United States in the criminal prosecution of violent crimes and narcotic cases during the investigatory stage, at trial, and on appeal. This included the initiation of monitoring of wiretaps to infiltrate and break up violent gangs in Baltimore City.

He also served as the Project Safe neighborhood coordinator for the office from 2002 until 2005. He participated in community outreach programs in coordination with the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office to reduce violent crime in Baltimore communities.

In 2007, Governor Ehrlich, a Republican, appointed him to serve as an associate judge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court for a term of 15 years. As a trial judge, Judge Russell has presided over hundreds of trials that have gone to verdict or judgment and he has experience in handling jury trials, bench trials, civil cases, and criminal cases. He has the professional experience which has been recognized by a Republican Governor and a Democratic President.

Judge Russell has strong roots, legal experience, and community involvement in the State of Maryland. He was born and raised in Baltimore City and has extended family who live in Baltimore. He served as a director and trustee of the board of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, which serves the disadvantaged throughout the State of Maryland. He served on the board of directors of the Community Law Center, which is an organization designed to help neighborhood organizations improve the quality of life for their residences.

He has also served as a board member on several organizations that devote substantial resources to helping the disadvantaged, including the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Maryland. I know he has often spoken to young people in school about the obligations, duty, and mandate of a judge, and he tries to demystify the role of a judge in a black robe.

Judge Russell is particularly concerned with addressing the drug, violence, and mental health problems that plague Baltimore City. Judge Russell comes from a very distinguished family in the legal profession of Maryland. Judge Russell's father, George L. Russell, Jr., was also a groundbreaking African-American lawyer in Maryland. He was the first African-American judge on the Maryland Circuit Court in the 1960s and was later Baltimore's first African-American Solicitor.

He was also the first African-American president of the Baltimore City Bar Association. In later years, Judge Russell was named by the Governor to chair the Maryland Museum of African-American History and Cultural Commission and served as chairman of the board of the Maryland African-American Museum Corporation.

He was also asked to chair Baltimore's Judicial Nominating Commission. He has received numerous awards from the Maryland Bar Foundation and NAACP.

His family is deep in public service, including his wife who serves as a judge on the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City. I am absolutely convinced that Judge Russell possesses the qualifications, temperament, and passion for justice that will make him an outstanding Federal trial judge. He will serve the people of Maryland very well in this position. I therefore urge my colleagues to vote for the confirmation of Judge Russell to serve as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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