Civic Register
| 10.18.21
Know a Nominee: Judge Gustavo Gelpí to the First Circuit Court of Appeals
Do you support or oppose the nomination of Judge Gustavo Gelpí to the First Circuit Court of Appeals?
UPDATE 10/18
- The Senate on Monday voted 52-41 to confirm Judge Gustavo Gelpí’s nomination to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Republican Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rick Scott (R-FL) joined Democrats by voting in favor.
UPDATE 10/7
- Before the Senate began its October recess, senators voted 54-39 to limit debate on Gelpí’s nomination, as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rick Scott (R-FL) joined Democrats by voting in favor.
The Senate is expected to consider the nomination of Judge Gustavo Gelpí to the First Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. Here’s what you need to know about the nominee:
Who is Judge Gustavo Gelpí?
- Gelpí, 55, is a federal judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. He was nominated to that role by President George W. Bush in 2006 and was confirmed unanimously by the Senate that year. He has served as the chief judge of the district since 2018.
- He earned his undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and his law degree from Suffolk University Law School. After law school, he clerked for Judge Juan Perez-Gimenez of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico from 1991 to 1993.
- Gelpí then worked as a federal public defender from 1993 to 1997; in the Puerto Rico Dept. of Justice from 1997 to 1999; as Puerto Rico’s solicitor general from 1999 to 2000; and then in private practice. He then worked as a U.S. magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2006 before his nomination to serve as a federal judge of that court.
- If confirmed, Gelpí would be the second Hispanic judge and the second judge from Puerto Rico serve on the First Circuit.
What’s the outlook for his confirmation?
- The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Gelpí’s nomination in July on a mostly party-line vote of 12-10, in which Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) joined Democrats by voting in favor.
- Committee Republicans questioned Gelpí about a book he wrote that was critical of a series of Supreme Court rulings regarding the relationship between the federal government and territories including Puerto Rico that were obtained after the Spanish-American War.
- Gelpí said his criticism of the cases was focused on the “historical aspect” of the rulings, which were decided by essentially the same Supreme Court that upheld racial segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson, and added that he couldn’t say how his “constitutional position” would impact territories like American Samoa if he were to hear such a case.
- The American Bar Association’s judicial nominations rating board gave Gelpí a rating of “well qualified” that was unanimous except for one panelist who recused themselves.
What does it mean for the First Circuit?
- Gelpí’s confirmation would fill a vacancy that opened on October 26, 2020, following the death of Judge Juan Torruella, a Ronald Reagan nominee who was the first Hispanic and Puerto Rican to serve on the First Circuit. Torruella’s duty station was in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- The First Circuit has six active judgeships. Of the five judges currently on the bench, one was nominated by Bill Clinton, one by George W. Bush, and three by Barack Obama.
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: iStock / imaginima)
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Only constitutional judges.. We will abolish the Supreme court and use Military instead. Only 6 years on duty only constitutional and America First judgements.
Gustavo Gelpi has served as a U.S. District Judge for Puerto Rico for over 15 years, and has had prior experience as a federal public defender. Appointed by Republican G.W. Bush, and endorsed by progressive Democrats like Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ), Gelpi has bipartisan credentials and experience that qualifies him to be only the 2nd judge from Puerto Rico to ever serve on a U.S. Circuit Court! With Gustavo Gelpi’s confirmation, Biden would also have officially confirmed as many public defenders to the powerful US Circuit Circuits in just 9 months as Obama did in all 8 years he was in office! Public defenders are for regular people, not just the rich!
Judge Gustavo Gelpí is experienced and rated “Well Qualified “ by the American Bar Association The fact that his ethnicity is reflective of the population he would be serving, makes me want to support this appointment even more!
Democrats pick qualified ones. Republicans pick ideological ones.
Stand Firm as Conservatives. Anyone Socialist, Traitor "President" Biden is not acceptable. You allow Herrick Garland defined Parents as "domestic terrorists", persecute, harass, and unconstitutionally deny Parents' their God Given Right to Free Speech using the full, unreasonably Large, and powerful Tyranny of Our Federal Police Force.
The court needs to have diversification, he would add to that diversity.
LOL. William Shatner (who portrayed James T. Kirk on Star Trek) at age 90 was able to get a seat on one of Jeff Bezos' suborbital flights. I suggest a GoFundMe for @Carina to get her an early seat on a shuttle to the Red Planet. I think she'd be happier within a colony of like-minded reactionaries who wish to live in a Pure Red Fascist Fantasyland. Can you imagine? In a Crony Capitalist Frontier, you pay for everything, including air and water. Trump can be president and social conservatives can breed in an unrestrained manner at least until Mars becomes overpopulated
In spite of our resident troll Carina’s mindless opposition (is she Russian/CCP/Iranian?), Judge Gelpi is eminently qualified to adjudicate cases at the next level and has demonstrated thoughtful decisions in the past which further underscores his rational temperament.
Carina. Did ya read his little bio? He has been brought along in his career by Reagan and George W. Bush. He is in Puerto Rico. He’s not going to come after you. Chill the fuck out. Likewise PattiZ. So tired of both of your irrational hysterical nonsense.
Surprising how few Republicans supported a judge previously nominated by a Republican and probably supported by a vast majority of Republicans in the earlier approval process.
Good. Puerto Rico needs more and better representation. Their peculiar status is that they are all born citizens of the United States BUT they have NO say in their federal government. They only get to exercise their Full Rights of Citizenship IF they emigrate to one of the 50 states!
No more communist judges!
Dave yes they are born with citizenship rights of Americans Citizens but they don’t get to vote in our national elections as they don’t live in one of our fifty states but in a territory. We are in fact a protector of their island like the Virgin Islands or Guam or even like Hawaii before it became our 50th state in 1960. It has been suggested several times over the years that Puerto Rico become our 51st State. The overwhelming majority of the people of that Island have always said HELL NO… I have visited that Beautiful Island of Puerto Rico once and found the people to be very friendly and very happy like they are. One of the reasons might be they get federal dollars from the United States but they don’t pay federal taxes. Well, here is where you must pay close attention. U.S. citizens who have lived all year on the island are exempt from filing taxes to the federal government of the United States as long as all of your income was from Puerto Rican sources only.
Think he will be a great candidate as the some of the more conservative senators joined the Democrats. Not to mention already holding the position under Bush.
I’ve always felt that if a judge is rated as qualified & there are no major objections , the President’s choice should be confirmed. This used to be the common practice but since the Democrats have taken to such disruptive practice & wild attacks on any Conservative, I understand the lack of trust concerning those nominated by this President.
If the Biden dictatorship has nominated him then I’m totally opposed!! I don’t support radical liberals for any office or judgeship!!
I prefer a judge who is more Progressive.
Now, the ‘Trump Judges’ should be replaced…
Another liberal judge not needed look at his voting record