BREAKING: President Trump Nominates Tucson Judge John Hinderaker For U.S. District Court Bench

President Donald Trump today nominated Pima County Superior Court Judge John Hinderaker for a judgeship with the U.S. District Court. Hinderaker left private practice last year when Arizona Governor Doug Ducey appointed him to the bench.

If confirmed to the lifetime position, Hinderaker will fill the vacancy created earlier this year when Judge Raner Collins moved to Senior status. If both Hinderaker and Judge Scott Rash are confirmed by the Senate, Arizona will have no vacancies on the District Court Bench for the first time in many years.

Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema was the first to respond to our  request for comment, and indicated that she was "pleased the White House worked with me" to move forward with the nomination.

“John Hinderaker brings a wealth of experience to the U.S. District Court as one of the most well-respected professionals in the Arizona legal community. He has served Arizona with distinction. I am confident he will continue that legacy on the District Court and I am pleased the White House worked with me to find a highly qualified nominee for this important position,” said Sinema.

Governor Ducey also responded with a tweet calling Hinderaker an "excellent judge" and expressing pride that he had placed him on the bench last year.

Rash was nominated by the President in September. The Senate Judiciary Committee has not yet conducted a hearing on Rash, apparently because his committee questionnaire has not yet been turned in.

Hinderaker was in private practice for his professional career until 2018, at Lewis Roca Rothberger Christie. He volunteered with or provided pro bono legal services for a number of community organizations in Tucson, and was featured at one Federalist Society event shortly after being placed on the Pima County bench.



(Thanks, as always, to Judicial Nominations Blog for giving us early notice on the appointment.)

* * * * *

"AZ Law" airs on non-profit Sun Sounds of Arizona, a statewide reading service that provides audio access to printed material for people who cannot hold or read print material due to a disability. 

If you know someone who could benefit from this 24/7 service, please let them know about member-supported Sun Sounds. And, YOU can donate or listen here.

"AZ Law" can also be downloaded and subscribed to in all major podcast stores - iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Podbean, etc.