Mark Norris (judge)

Mark Norris
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
Designate
Assuming office
TBD
Appointed by Donald Trump
Succeeding J. Daniel Breen
Majority Leader of the Tennessee Senate
Assumed office
January 9, 2007
Preceded by Ron Ramsey
Member of the Tennessee Senate
from the 32nd district
Assumed office
January 2001
Preceded by Tom Leatherwood
Personal details
Born Mark Saalfield Norris Sr.
(1955-07-09) July 9, 1955
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
Political party Republican
Education Colorado College (BA)
University of Denver (JD)

Mark Saalfield Norris Sr. (born July 9, 1955 in Akron, Ohio) is an American attorney and politician. A Republican, he has been a member of the Tennessee Senate since 2001 and Senate Majority Leader since 2007.

In October 2018, Norris was confirmed to be a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

Education

He received his Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.[1]

Tennessee state Senate

Norris was first elected to represent District 32 in the Tennessee Senate in 2000. The District is composed of Dyer, Lauderdale, and Tipton counties, and the eastern and northeastern portion of Shelby County. He previously served on the Shelby County Board of Commissioners.[1] He was based in Collierville, Tennessee, and he was elected the State Senate Majority Leader in 2007.[1]

Norris ran unopposed for re-election in 2016, collecting $655,000 in campaign contributions, the largest among all Tennessee General Assembly candidates.[2]

In 2015, Norris opposed a proposal to make the Bible the official state book.[3][4]

Norris engaged in an effort to bar refugee resettlement in Tennessee and was a lead figure supporting a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program.[5][6] Norris created an online petition against refugee resettlement under the headline "Don't let potential terrorists come to Tennessee."[7][8] Norris also supported the Trump travel bans.[9]

Nomination to U.S. District Court

On July 13, 2017, President Trump nominated Norris to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, to the seat vacated by Judge J. Daniel Breen, who took senior status on March 18, 2017.[10] Prior to his appointment, Norris was publicly considering a candidacy for Governor of Tennessee in 2018.[9][3]

Trump's nomination of Norris was supported by Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee,[11] but strongly criticized by former U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin, who described Norris as one of a number of "the least qualified and most bizarre" of Trump's judicial appointments. In a New York Times op-ed, Scheindlin criticized Norris for suggesting that "being Muslim is synonymous with being a terrorist" and for leading efforts to bar local governments from removing public monuments to the Confederacy.[12]

On November 1, 2017, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[13] During the hearing, Norris said in response to a question from Senator Amy Klobuchar that he viewed the case Obergefell v. Hodges (determining that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry) as settled law.[14] On December 7, 2017 his nomination was reported out of committee by a party line 11–9 vote.[15]

On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[16] On January 5, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to renominate Norris to a federal judgeship.[17] On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate.[18] On January 18, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by a party line 11–10 vote.[19] On October 11, 2018 his nomination was confirmed by the full Senate by a 51–44 vote.[20] He is currently awaiting his judicial commission.

In January 2018, Norris said he was unsure if he would be confirmed by the U.S. Senate and planned to retain his seat in the state senate until his nomination was confirmed.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "President Donald J. Trump Announces Fifth Wave of Judicial Candidates" White House, July 13, 2017
  2. ↑ Erik Schelzig, More than $16M flows to Tennessee legislative candidates, Associated Press (November 2, 2016).
  3. 1 2 Otis Sanford, Mark Norris has steep trek to Tennessee governorship, Commercial Appeal (January 14, 2017).
  4. ↑ Tennessee plan to make Bible 'official' book derailed, Chicago Tribune wire services (April 16, 2015).
  5. ↑ Cari Wade Gervin, Refugee lawsuit finally filed, Tennessean (March 13, 2017).
  6. ↑ Sam Stockard, Tennessee Sues Federal Government Over Refugee Program, Memphis Daily News (March 14, 2017).
  7. ↑ Joel Ebert, Lawmakers cite Belgium attacks as need for refugee resolution, Tennessean (March 22, 2016).
  8. ↑ Sarah Goodyear, Is the Volunteer State’s campaign to bar refugees really just a veiled expression of Islamophobia?, New York Daily News (July 2, 2016).
  9. 1 2 Joel Ebert, Sen. Mark Norris being vetted for appointment to federal judgeship, USA Today Network (June 12, 2017).
  10. ↑ " Ten Nominations Sent to the Senate Today" White House, July 13, 2017
  11. ↑ Andy Sher, Trump nominates Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Norris for federal judgeship, Times Free Press (July 13, 2017).
  12. ↑ Shira A. Scheindlin, Trump's Crazy Choices for the Courts, New York Times (November 9, 2017).
  13. ↑ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for November 1, 2017
  14. ↑ Michael Collins, Judicial nominee Mark Norris tells Senate panel that gay marriage is settled law, USA Today Network (November 1, 2017).
  15. ↑ Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 7, 2017, Senate Judiciary Committee
  16. ↑ "Congressional Record", United States Senate, January 3, 2018
  17. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Renomination of 21 Judicial Nominees", White House, January 5, 2018
  18. ↑ "Nominations Sent to the Senate Today", The White House, January 8, 2018
  19. ↑ Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 18, 2018, Senate Judiciary Committee
  20. ↑ U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress - 2nd Session United States Senate Vote Summary: Vote Number 237, United States Senate, October 11, 2018
  21. ↑ Buie, Jordan (January 10, 2018). "Sen. Mark Norris says judgeship is uncertain, will remain in legislature until confirmed". The Tennesseean. USA Todday. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
Tennessee Senate
Preceded by
Tom Leatherwood		 Member of the Tennessee Senate
from the 32nd district
2001–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Ron Ramsey		 Majority Leader of the Tennessee Senate
2007–present
Party political offices
Preceded by
Ron Ramsey		 Republican Leader of the Tennessee Senate
2007–present		 Incumbent
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