AP speculates Judge Sidney Thomas is under a higher level of consideration by the president than other SCOTUS considerations

The AP reported today that Judge Sidney Thomas had been personally interviewed this Thursday by President Obama and Vice President Biden. The AP speculates that the personal time Obama has devoted to Judge Thomas indicates that he is under a higher level of consideration for the United States Supreme Court by the president than other potential nominees. As discussed in earlier posts on this blog, Judge Thomas sits on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, lives in Billings, Montana, and graduated from Montana State University and The University of Montana School of Law. You can read the AP story here.

AOL writes about Judge Sidney Thomas' background

AOL posted an online article entitled "6 Things to Know About Supreme Court Short-Listee Sidney Thomas." You can read the article here.

Billings Gazette opines that Judge Sidney Thomas would be a great pick for SCOTUS

The Billings Gazette wrote an editorial essentially endorsing Judge Sidney Thomas for the U.S. Supreme Court:

According to national news reports, Thomas isn’t considered among the favorites on a list of 10 potential nominees to replace liberal-leaning Justice John Paul Stevens. However, Thomas is an excellent justice candidate who doesn’t carry the political baggage of the favorites. In the highly partisan atmosphere of Washington, D.C., in 2010, Obama would do well to pick Thomas for his high qualifications and relatively low controversy.

“To have a Montanan as a potential nominee to serve on the highest court in the land is a tremendous honor for our state,” Baucus said last week. To that we add: To have Sidney Thomas become the first Montanan to serve on the high court would be a tremendous boon to justice in America.

You can read the editorial here.

Newsweek "Race for the Robe" Blog currently has Judge Sidney Thomas in Third Place in the running for SCOTUS

Here is a Newsweek blog that ranks the various potential nominees' chances for nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. As of April 19, 2010, according to Newsweek, Judge Thomas is in 3rd place.

More Praise for Judge Sidney Thomas . . .

The Missoulian interviewed three U.S. District Court Judges all of whom praised Judge Sidney Thomas. The Missoulian also interviewed attorneys that practiced law with Judge Thomas. Everyone in the article agrees Judge Thomas would be a great pick for the U.S. Supreme Court. You can read the article here.

Montana Supreme Court Candidate Judge Nels Swandal of Livingston Will Hear Alleged New Evidence in Barry Beach Case

Park County District Judge Nels Swandal of Livingston has been appointed to hear new evidence in the Barry Beach case. As discussed earlier on this blog, Barry Beach, who is serving a 100-year prison sentence for allegedly killing 17-year-old Kim Nees on the Fork Peck Indian Reservation in 1979, has maintained that he is innocent of the crime. Judge Swandal will apply a modified version of the five-prong Clark test and the Schlup “clear and convincing” standard to Beach’s alleged newly discovered evidence to determine whether Beach’s petition establishes that a “jury could find, in light of the newly discovered evidence,” that Beach actually is innocent of his crime. You can read the Great Falls Tribune story on this new development here.

Judge Swandal is currently running for the Montana Supreme Court.

AP Story on Judge Sidney Thomas

Here's an AP story about Judge Thomas with commentary from U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy, retired Montana Supreme Court Justice Jim Regnier, and others from Montana.

Judge Sidney Thomas - University of Montana School of Law Grad - Considered for U.S. Supreme Court

President Obama is reportedly considering Judge Sidney Thomas of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for the United States Supreme Court. Judge Thomas received his bachelor's degree from Montana State University and his law degree from The University of Montana School of Law. Judge Thomas' opinions make clear that he is a strong supporter of individual rights and would be a great addition to the Court. You can read the NY Times article regarding his consideration here. Should Judge Thomas be nominated and confirmed for the U.S. Supreme Court, he would be the only non-Ivy League graduate on the Court. His addition would add a western voice to the Court that has been absent since Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement. You can read a NY Times article regarding Senate Democrats' desire for a non-Ivy League Supreme Court nominee here.