The President announces his intention to nominate a new federal judicial nominee who is extraordinarily qualified, experienced and dedicated to the rule of law and our Constitution.
This is President Biden’s twenty-seventh round of nominations for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 144.
President Biden has spent decades committed to strengthening the federal bench, so he continues to move quickly to fill judicial vacancies. And he won the confirmation of the lowest justices for the first year of the presidency since the Kennedy administration.
President Biden also announced his intention to nominate three new candidates to serve as United States Attorneys and three new candidates to serve as United States Marshals. These are the officials who will be essential to maintain the rule of law as the main federal law enforcement officials.
These individuals were selected for their devotion to law enforcement, their professionalism, their experience and credentials, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice.
The president has proposed a budget that would significantly increase funding for law enforcement as part of a comprehensive approach to addressing the rising crime rate that this administration inherited last year.
The president also launched a comprehensive effort to deal with the increase in gun crime that has occurred since 2020 – putting more police on the scene, supporting community prevention programs, and cracking down on the illegal trafficking of weapons Confirming the United States Attorneys as the main federal law enforcement officers in their district is important for these efforts.
The President has now announced 63 nominees to serve as United States Attorneys and 20 nominees to serve as United States Marshals.
United States District Court Notice
Scott Colom has served as the District Attorney for the 16th Judicial District of Mississippi since 2016. Mr. Colom practiced law at the Colom Law Firm LLC from 2011 to 2016. While working in private practice, Mr. Colom served in several part-time roles. , including as the City Attorney for Columbus, Mississippi from 2013 to 2016; as a Municipal Court judge in Aberdeen, Mississippi from 2012 to 2013; and as an Interim Justice Court judge for Lowndes County, Mississippi from 2011 to 2012. From 2009 to 2011, as a Skadden Fellow, he was a staff attorney at the Mississippi Center for Justice. Mr. Colom received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2009 and his B.A. from Millsaps College in 2005.
The announcement of the United States District Court
Jaime E. Esparza served as the District Attorney for the 34th Judicial District of Texas from 1993 to 2020. Mr. Esparza previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office in 1992 and was the First Assistant Public Defender for El. Paso County Public Defender’s Office from 1988 to 1991. Mr. Esparza served as an Assistant District Attorney for the 34th Judicial District of Texas in 1987 and as an Assistant District Attorney in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston, Texas from 1983 to 1987. Mr. Esparza received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1983 and a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1979.
Alamdar S. Hamdani has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas since 2014. He previously served as Deputy Chief of the Section of Counterterrorism of the National Security Division in the Department of Justice from 2012 to 2014 and as a trial attorney in the Counterterrorism Section from 2010 to 2012. From 2008 to 2012, Mr. Hamdani was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Mr. Hamdani was a founding partner of Hamdani & Simon LLP from 2005 to 2008; an associate at Winstead Sechrest & Minick PC from 2001 to 2005; and an associate at Dow, Cogburn & Friedman PC from 1999 to 2001. Mr. Hamdani received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1999 and his B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993.
Leigha Simonton has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas since 2005. From 2003 to 2005, Ms. Simonton was an associate at Haynes & Boone, LLP. He served as a law clerk for Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 2002 to 2003 and Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas from 2001 to 2002. Ms. Simonton received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2001 and her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997.
United States Marshal Announcements
Michael D. Black has been the Director of Protective Services for OhioHealth Corporation since 2021. Previously, he was Deputy Director and Director of Investigations and Security at the Ohio Lottery Commission from 2019 to 2021, and was Senior Manager for Physical Security and Global Security. Operations in the Global Security Office at Symantec from 2018 to 2019. Mr. Black previously served in the Ohio State Highway Patrol from 1989 to 2018, retiring as Assistant Superintendent and Lieutenant Colonel of Operations. Mr. Black has held several other roles with the Ohio Highway Patrol, including Major and Commander of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations from 2012 to 2017; Captain and Columbus District Commander from 2011 to 2012; Staff Lieutenant from 2004 to 2008; Lieutenant from 1999 to 2004; Sergeant from 1998 to 1999; Academy Sergeant from 1994 to 1998; and Trooper from 1989 to 1995. Mr. Black is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
Stephen Eberle has been a Regional Director for the Safe Community Network since 2021. He previously served with the Pennsylvania State Police from 1995 to 2021, retiring as a Major and Area I Commander. Mr. Eberle has held various other roles with the Pennsylvania State Police, including as Major and Director of the Office of Emergency and Special Operations from 2017 to 2018; Captain and Commanding Officer of Troop A from 2013 to 2017; Lieutenant and Commander of the Western Section of the Internal Affairs Division from 2011 to 2013; Sergeant from 2007 to 2011; Corporal from 2004 to 2007; and Trooper from 1995 to 2004. Mr. Eberle received his B.S. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Justin Martinez has served as Sheriff of Summit County, Utah, since 2015. From 2005 to 2015, he was a Captain with the Summit County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Martinez previously served as a Police Officer with the Draper City Police Department from 2003 to 2005 and a Sergeant with the Utah Transit Authority Police Department from 2001 to 2003. From 1999 to 2001 he served as a Corrections Officer in the Salt Lake County Sheriff. Office and a Police Officer in the Sandy City Police Department from 1996 to 1998. Mr. Martinez received his MBA from the University of Utah in 2017 and his B.S. from Utah Valley University in 2010. He is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.
