Hearings to examine certain pending nominations.

Good morning everybody. We welcome you to today's hearing. Our panel features six district court nominees. Daniel Balou, Eastern District, Kentucky Richard Bennett, Southern Southern District, Texas Courtney Coker, Northern District, Texas trevor pemerton northern district oklahoma kyle reardon district of alaska and zachary west for the district eastern district of oklahoma i'll keep my remarks brief since we have number of visitors who will introduce these nominees all of today's nominees are highly qualified to serve on the federal bench what strikes me about today's nominees in particular is the diverse qualifications that they've gained throughout their career in public service of course like many hearings this panel features nominees who clerked at district uh federal district and circuit court levels beyond that i'm proud that two nominees here today served in our military judge balou served in both the us navy and marine corps as an intelligence officer and judge reardon began his career as an army jag corps moreover all of today's nominees have served as attorneys uh in in civilian public service as well take for example mister bannard who served as a state and federal prosecutor as well as legal advisor and assistant chief counsel with federal agencies mr. coker and judge reardon also spent most of their careers as federal prosecutors, protecting victims and the public at large. Mister West worked for our college, uh colleague, Senator Cruz, in support of this committee, and he spent the remainder of his career in the State Attorney General's office including service as Solicitor General of Oklahoma. Mister Pemberton spent years as General Counsel in the Governor's office gaining critical insight into issues facing the people of the state. Notably two thirds of today's nominees already have judicial experience. Uh, for example, Judge Belot. He's been a state judge in Kentucky for nearly a quarter century, and I think it's fair to say he knows a thing or two about managing the courtroom. Mister Pemberton previously served as both trial and appellate judge in Oklahoma, and Judge Bennett and Judge Reardon. our currently federal magistrate judges in texas and alaska my point is this yes today's nominees have had remarkable legal careers they know the law they've done the work but today's nominees are also no strangers to public service they've all answered the call to serve uh our great country and i'm confident that they'll continue doing so as federal judges i look forward to listen to each of today's nominees senator derby

thanks a lot chairman grassley congratulations to the nominees families and friends uh by senate standards i will try to be brief uh three of the nominees on today's panel have been long time federal prosecutors assistant us attorneys or aus are critical part of the criminal justice system hold a lot of power including deciding who to charge and what charges to bring Historically, the Justice Department has been afforded a presumption of regularity, meaning, as Senator Whitehouse has reminded us, that courts presume that an AUSA's representations can be trusted, deference not accorded to many private litigants. But the Justice Department under this President and Attorney General has upended this presumption of regularity by weaponizing the Department of Justice to protect the President and his followers, and to target anyone who dares to cross him. As a result, federal judges across the country, even those appointed by presidents of Republican party, have found that the Justice Department has made misrepresentations to the court, an egregious act for any officer of the court, let alone a federal prosecutor. From January twenty twenty five to March twenty twenty six, judges in at least ninety, ninety cases, stated on the record that they did not uh trust the justice department's representations to the court. Ninety cases. Unfortunately, what Judge Mary McIlroy found, she reported publicly. Miss McIlroy, the judge, is a Trump appointee. A Trump appointee. She said about federal prosecutors withholding information and misrepresenting facts, involving a subpoena as they sought to investiga- investigate a hospital's care of transgender children. She said, and I quote, " As citizens, we trust that federal prosecutors, when wielding this awesome power against a state, a company, certainly against vulnerable children, will play fair and be honest with its counterparts and the judiciary." However, she continued, "The discrepancy between the honorable conduct expected of federal prosecutors and Department of Justice tactics in the case is unsettling." She concluded that the presumption of regularity, normally extended to the Justice Department, quote, " no longer holds", a Trump appointee. Nowhere in this administration's weaponization of the Justice Department is that more apparent than an approach to the electoral process. With the midterms elections fast approaching, the Trump administration is using vast resources of the Justice Department to politicize that agency and interfere with the election. Look no further than Attorney General Blanchett's speech last week at the Republican Midterm Convention in Texas, the first time a sitting Attorney General has spoken at a party convention in decades. Instead of avoiding partisan rallies or any actions that create the impression of interfering in the electoral process, The Attorney General did just the opposite. Meanwhile, the Justice Department sent threatening letters to at least thirty top election officials across the country, demanding access to sensitive voter data and election records. The letters claimed the chief election officials, quote, are currently under investigation and are subject to ongoing litigation. The Justice Department has sued thirty states seeking unredacted voter list. including personal information on voters, like driver's license numbers, and partial social security numbers. All in an attempt to prove there's a widespread voter fraud that has never been established. After not winning a single case, and losing twenty-three of them, President Trump and Attorney General Blanchard have turned their desperate desperate tactics to intimidating state election officials and voters, even at polling places. Weeks ago, DOJ election monitors showed up unannounced at polling locations in Wyoming, during primary elections, trying to interview voters and examine voting machines. As the governors of Wyoming, a conservative Republican said, it was aggressive, unexpected, disruptive, and certainly didn't seem to show respect for our state. At a time when DOJ has upended norms and traditions so drastically, that it has lost the presumption of regularity in many courtrooms, it is more important than ever that the federal judiciary hold this weaponized agency to account. I hope the nominees before us today can demonstrate they'll do that by putting the rule of law above partisan politics. Thank you, Mister Chair.

Thank you, Senator Durbin. We'll now turn to the introduction of nominees. Senator Cruz is a scheduling conflict with the Commerce Committee, so he asked me to enter into the record his introduction. remarks in support of several nominees. These include Mister West, who worked for Senator Cruz in support of this committee, as well as Texas nominees Judge Bennet and Mister Corker. Uh, without objection, these will be entered in the record. Uh, then we'll start with our visiting senators and then turn to Senator Cornyn. So I'm gonna call on this order Senator Murkowski, Senator Paul and Senator Langford. Senator Murkowski, please proceed.

Good morning, Mister Chairman, a ranking member Durbin, members of the Judiciary Committee. Thanks for the opportunity to introduce Kyle Reardon to the committee today. Uh, you haven't seen me before the Judiciary Committee. In some time the District of Alaska has not been fully constituted as a court since twenty twenty-two so uh we are we are pleased to be able to to fill this remaining vacancy. Uh, before I speak to Mister Reardon's qualifications for this position. I I briefly wanna recognize some of his family members that are here in the audience to support him they've come all the way from Alaska and other parts of the country as well uh we know being in public service is really a family affair and this family is certainly supportive of Kyle uh Kyle's wife Christian I've known um through her good work for the Denali commission in Alaska uh they have two sons that are with them today Luke and Owen Um, both at West High School. We're all alums of Roemig Middle School. Um, so we've got that in in common, and I first met Owen when he and his mom were, uh, taking a walk through a shared neighborhood and they were picking up trash. So, I thought that that was a pretty good indicator of, of, uh, community responsibility. Kyle's parents are also with us. Uh, Kyle is now the second reardon to appear before a US Senate committee. His dad was the Auditor General for the US Army before becoming Principal Deputy Inspector General for the Department of Defense under uh former President George W. Bush. Um he's hoping that the questions Kyle gets today are gonna be a little bit easier than the ones that Senator Stevens put before him, but we will see. Kyle's uh Kyle describes his mom as the anchor of the family. Uh she was the neighborhood uh greeter and cookie maker, but also a strong civil servant for over twenty-five years. Kyle is also joined by his brother and sister-in-law, who came from Missouri to be with him today. Uh, and again, the support from from family members really says it all. Uh, Kyle brings the experience, the intellect, the integrity, and the judicial temperament that I believe is necessary to be an effective US District Court Judge. As has been noted by you, Mister Chairman, he spent his entire legal career in public service, first as a judge advocate for the US Army for six years. Then he was a federal prosecutor for fifteen years, including seven as an assistant US attorney in in Alaska. And he is now serving as a US magistrate judge for the district and has been in that position since twenty twenty one. In his current role, Mister Rudin has handled more than three thousand criminal and almost five hundred civil matters. He's also been selected to serve on various Ninth Circuit committees. Uh, you know, this is, this is an individual that is not only, uh, qualified, um, for this position. He is ready to hit the ground running as a US District Court Judge. And again, we certainly need this given the extended vacancies that the court has experienced. I I wanna briefly highlight some of Mister Rudin's work as an Assistant US Attorney, that coincides with some of the things that that I've been working on as we work to improve public health and safety in Alaska and I know are priorities of the committee as well. Mister Rudin was the lead attorney on more than a hundred and twenty cases, many of which were related to child sexual abuse material or sex trafficking. And this work included being the lead attorney in ten trials, and serving as Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, Senior Trial Counsel and Deputy Criminal Chief. Mister Burden also brings an understanding of the issues that face rural Alaska to the bench. Uh he has done outreach as part of the US Attorney's Office Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement Initiative this was uh an initiative that was created after Attorney General Barr's visit to the state back in twenty eighteen. Uh he has also been involved in in the effort to uh to address our drug issues in this state. Uh he was involved uh with a multi-drug, multi-defendant drug case that Mister Rudin prosecuted involving significant amounts of methamphetamine and heroin being brought into the Kenai peninsula. And after this conspiracy was brought down, there was a local law enforcement officer that shared that not only did the drug trade dry up in this area for for a period of time but robberies and violence decreased. Um, it is, it's important to note in, in uh messaging that has been shared, he speaks not only to the impact that he has, the positive impact he has had, uh as he, as he helps those who have been victims, but what it means to ensure that others do not become victims, whether victims of, of child sexual abuse or victims of, of drug violence. Uh, so his His generosity of spirit, I think, has shown through. To summarize, I want to thank uh, Kyle Reardon, his family for agreeing to serve as US District Court Judge. I appreciate the committee for scheduling his confirmation hearing so quickly, after President Trump nominated him. And I appreciate the President and the White House Office Council for working with us to advance Mister Reardon's nomination.

Thank you, Senator Markowski.

Thank you, Mister Chairman.

Now, Senator Paul.

Thank you, Mister Chairman and Senator Ervin, for this opportunity. I'm proud to introduce my friend, uh Judge Dan Bellew, who is now nominated to serve as District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Judge Valeux has demonstrated commitment to public service and a fair-minded approach to the law. He'll be a credit to the federal judiciary and I urge his confirmation. Judge Valeux first took the oath to protect and defend our country, and our constitution, when he was eighteen years old. He joined the US Marine Corps and left for Paris Island three days after graduating from high school in nineteen eighty four. He served seven years on active duty and was honorably discharged as a sergeant. During his enlisted time, he served on the East Coast, the West Coast, and deployed overseas four times. His last deployment was to Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Judge Veloux left active service in nineteen ninety-one to pursue an education. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky, and a law degree from the University of Mississippi. He then clerked for another Williamsburg native, Judge Eugene Seiler, on the US uh Court of Appeals for the sixth circuit. he returned to uniform in nineteen ninety nine as a reservist where he served as an intelligence officer he served with various reserve units and deployed to afghanistan and iraq

so wonderful

before retiring from the marine corps as a major in twenty fifteen somewhere along the way judge blew found time to work in private practice start a family and get elected to the bench judge blew has served a total of twenty four years on the bench in kentucky he serves as a district he served first as a district judge in kentucky for five years from two thousand and three to two thousand seven uh since then he has served as a circuit court judge for the last nineteen years and currently serves as the chief circuit court judge for kentucky's thirty fourth judicial district whether on the battlefield or in the courtroom judge blew his demonstrated a commitment to public service and our constitution he has built a reputation as a fair-minded judge who balances respect for the parties with fidelity to the law I look forward to his continued service to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and to the country. I'm happy to offer my strongest endorsement for Judge Valou's confirmation to the US District Court for the Eastern Kentucky Eastern District of Kentucky. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Paul. Now, Senator Langford.

Chairman Grassley, ranking member uh German, thank you. Uh, thanks for the opportunity to be able to introduce two great Oklahoma candidates that uh we have nominated to serve on the federal bench in Oklahoma. Uh, it's my pleasure to be able to introduce Trevor Pemberton, uh, who has been nominated to serve in the Northern District of Oklahoma. Zach West, who has been nominated to serve in the Eastern District. I also wanna say my gratitude to the committee for the swift action to be able to work through this process. Uh, we have a desperate need for additional district judges uh in Oklahoma based on the McGirt decision, and the heavy caseload that's in those areas. And so I really appreciate the swift action to be able to work through and do the background here. Trevor Pemberton is currently in private practice. He has an impressive career under his belt. He's served as general counsel to Governor Stitt. He's a judge on the Oklahoma uh Court of Civil Appeals, and a district judge in Oklahoma County. He graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law. He has a deep commitment to the Constitution and the people of Oklahoma, and I'm confident that he will serve the state, the country, and the Constitution well. Zach West currently serves in the Oklahoma Attorney General's office. Has previously served as a Deputy Solicitor General for our state. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. West has a passion for the law and the Constitution. I believe he also will serve our state extremely well. I would ask this committee to also not hold it against him that he's a former staff member for Senator Cruz. So please don't hold that against him, uh, in the process. I look forward to the swift confirmation of both these nominee nominees and I do thank this committee for holding the hearing today.

Thank you, Senator Langford. Now, Senator Coroner.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanna take just a moment before I introduce um Richard Bennett and Courtney Coker to talk about the process that brings us here today. First of all, I would tell the uh nominees that the fact that not all of these seats are filled is a good thing. Um, I always tell uh people who appear before congressional committees if every seat is filled by a senator, you are in deep trouble. But because these nominees are generally speaking not controversial, um, and because senators have multiple, uh, conflicts, typically three things scheduled at the same time, it's, uh, it's not easy to be everywhere you want to be when you want to be there. But in the case of the nominees coming from Texas, Um, Senator Cruz and I have something that I'm very proud of. I know he is too, called the Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee. We issue, uh, notices, uh, to people who want to serve that they can apply through this committee. And it is comprised of, um, I can't remember what the exact number is, now thirty or more of the state's best lawyers. And, uh, we certainly have some outstanding members of the bar. in Texas, and they are, I think, the best qualified to be able to assess the qualifications of the people who want to serve in these lifetime tenured uh jobs. So that's the first step. They have to pass muster with the committee, and then they are recommended to Senator Cruz and me. We of course get a chance to uh interview them and then uh recommend them to the White House. Uh, these nominations are the President's choice, not ours. But we do play a very important role in terms of the of the confirmation process. And I like to think that we assist the White House in terms of our due diligence that we do to make sure that only the best and the brightest people make it this far. And then of course there's the committee process uh that we're engaged in here today, where the witnesses will answer some questions. Then, in a short time hopefully the chairman will schedule a mark-up, they will pass out a committee and then they'll be ready for action on on the floor. But because these are very, very important positions, and uh they are lifetime tenured, um they can't be fired, um judges can be impeached for extraordinary circumstances, but uh to me this is one of the things that distinguishes our country from the rest of the world. Other countries who claim to be uh uh, what Justice Scalia once called parchment democracies. He pointed out that even countries like the former Soviet Union had a pretty good look in the Constitution on paper but what distinguished the United States from the rest of the world and which I think still protects us today, is our independent uh judiciary. So with that, let me, Mister Chairman, let me uh just mention that uh uh Richard Bennett and Courtney Coker are here today, uh recommended by their president, nominated for these important positions. Um, in the case of Mister Bennet for Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. And, uh, while he has North Texas roots as a graduate of Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University's, Dedman School of Law, he spent the last two decades of his career in many parts of the lone star state. After cheering on the rare dual allegiance of the TCU Horned Frogs and SMU Mustangs, Mr. Bennett began his legal career as Chief Attorney in the Galveston County District Attorney's Office. Uh, he then headed further south to serve as Assistant US Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, before becoming Assistant Chief Counsel on Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the Department of Homeland Security. Most recently, he has made home in the Bayou City and served as the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. houston division. Throughout his tenure, mister binnit has served with integrity and deep respect for the rule of law, and I look forward to him uh continuing to serve texans in this new position, once confirmed, and I would encourage all my colleagues to support the nomination. Let me say a word about courtney coker, who's been nominated to be a us district judge for the northern district of texas. That's the dallas division. From serving in Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi as the chief of the criminal division, to working as a solo practitioner and adjunct professor, there's no question that Mister Coker's experience uh qualifies him, uh with the sort of experience and knowledge one needs to hold and perform well in these important positions. And while Mister Coker may have taken the scenic route to the lone star state, uh we have a saying that uh uh um He got here as fast as you could. Um, we're glad to have him as an adopted Texan. He served as the lead attorney in the North uh, the North Texas Homeland Security Task Force since last year, and joined the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas in twenty twenty. Uh, last uh, as I heard last Thursday while I was in Dallas for the investiture of Ryan Rebold as the new uh, US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Courtney. Coker has been instrumental in helping recruit the talent. That our new uh US Attorney needs there and the Department of Justice needs there. In order to deal with the growing population. In Texas and uh growing challenges to our criminal justice system. In these roles he's earned a reputation as a top-level prosecutor. Holding dangerous criminals accountable to keep the public safe. We are privileged to live in a country with an independent judiciary, as I said, but that system will not succeed on its own. In order for it to work, we need judges who are dedicated to the rule of law, not uh the whims of popular opinion or politics, and who operate with that, with integrity and without fear or favor. Judge Bennett and Mister Coker are exceptionally qualified, and I'm grateful for both of them for volunteering for this job, along with their families, and as we know, and as I think Senator Murkowski noted, none of us get to do any of these kinds of jobs without the love and support of our families. So I urge my colleagues on the committee to uh, uh, favorably report these nominations and would ask the rest of my colleagues to uh, support the present's nomination and confirm them as soon as possible. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Senator Cornyn. Well, the nominees uh get ready to come to the table just as soon as we get your name plates up there i'd ask you to stand and i'll swear you

uh

i think i gotta wait until we get one of these microphones fix that

jacket

oh god You uh please uh raise your hand. Uh Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.

I can do this.

I notice you all were affirmed that. Thank you very much. Please sit down. And we'll start with uh Mister Ballot and go down the table that way. Uh you can uh give your opening statements, uh introduce uh any uh supporters you want to do or whatever you wanna do for five minutes.

ok thank you sir uh mister chairman and a ranking member and all the senators and your staff who i know work very hard from this committee i wanna thank you for the opportunity to be here today it's truly a blessing um it's actually an amazing experience uh i wanna thank president trump for nominating me and i wanna thank senator mcconnell and senator paul for um recommending me to the white house uh i have three people here with me today um that uh have been through a whole lot with me during my life and i'm gonna start with uh introducing uh you all to two marines that i served with eh various different times in my career Uh first, Colonel Doug Mason, who is a retired uh Colonel of Marines. And Master Gunnery Sergeant Chris Lake, who is a retired uh senior NCO. Uh these these gentlemen uh uh are like family. Family is may or may not uh involve DNA. Um in this case it's a Marine Corps green DNA, but they are a family. So, uh, it is truly an honor for me, uh, to have them by my side. Uh, went through some challenging times with, uh, these guys and, uh, some uncomfortable, uh, experiences. So, not that I'm overly comfortable here, because frankly I'm not. This is, uh, a little different experience, but having these two guys sit behind me puts everything in perspective. And I'm saving the best for the last, and that is my wife, Angie. No, I can't uh, if I elaborate on her too much, I'll start crying. And I cannot do that with these two Marines sitting behind me, because I'll never hear the end of it. I will just say this, she is my best friend, my soul mate. And if the Lord said, you got five minutes left on this planet, I'd wanna spend them, all five with her. And as much as I hope to every senator decides to hire me for this job um whether i get everybody's vote or nobody's vote um i get to go home with her so i've already won and uh thank you all for allowing me to be here

thank you uh sir judge ball now um mr. bennett judge bennett

thank you chairman grassley and ranking member Durbin for scheduling the hearing this morning, and the committee members for considering my nomination. Of course, I would like to thank President Trump for the great honor of this nomination. It is truly the honor of a lifetime. I would also like to thank both Senators Cornyn and Cruz for their recommendation of me to the White House. Thank you, Senator Cornyn, for that generous introduction. And I wanna thank you for your support throughout this confirmation process. I have a number of family members here who I would like to recognize. for their support today and throughout my career. First, I'd like to thank God for all the blessings he's bestowed upon me and my family. Carolyn, my wife of twenty-one years, is here, and without her faith, love and support, especially in raising our two boys and taking care of our younger son Thomas when he was sick, I would not be in this position today. My older son Jackson, a new Baylor University student, is taking time from class to be here today, and I could not be more proud of all his accomplishments. I believe our younger son Thomas is here in spirit, as he passed on to be with our Lord in twenty twenty three, and we sure miss him. I'd also like to thank my parents, James and Margarita, for being here. My parents' love and support have instilled in me the values of family, sacrifice, perseverance, and hard work. And I have several other family members here, including my wife's aunt and uncle, Alan and Mary, my brother Jay, and my wife's cousin and sister Laura. Thank you all for being here. My in-laws Dale and Sally could not make it today, but I thank them for their support as well. I'd like to recognize my law clerks, Matthew and Meredith, who are also here, and thank them for all their hard work. Having devoted most of my career to public service and the fair and impartial application of the law, I look forward to continuing that service if I am fortunate enough to be confirmed as a United States District Judge. With that, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to address the committee, and I look forward to answering your questions. Thank you.

Thank you very much. You may now proceed, sir.

Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin, and all the committee. Thank you for scheduling this hearing. I wanna first thank President Trump for this nomination. Only in America can a farm kid from rural Kentucky get an opportunity to rise in experience such an amazing dream. I'm truly humbled. Also wanted to thank Senators Cornyn and Cruz for having the faith and confidence in me to fulfill such important position. And I also wanna thank Senator Cornyn and Cruz for what you do for our nation and for the great state of Texas. And thank you, Senator Cornyn, for your nice introduction. I next wanna thank my family. First and foremost, my wife Lorraine. From the first day we met when I started as a federal prosecutor, in her native Puerto Rico, she's been my biggest supporter. Her love, support and sacrifice have allowed me to pursue a career in public service. Also wanna thank my son Daniel, who served in the Air Force for six years, and my daughter Luna. Both have always inspired me. I wanna thank my mother, who's no longer with us. She was the first person to put a book in my hand and inspired a lifetime of learning. I wanna thank my father, who got up every day of his life and worked hard to support our family. His example of hard work is an integral part of who I am today. Also wanna thank my brother and his wife who are here with me today, and my two sisters and other family family members watching from home. Professionally, I'd like to thank all the members of the Department of Justice, who I've served with during the last eighteen and a half years. More specifically, I wanna acknowledge the men and women of the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. Their hard work and love of country is amazing, and I'm very proud to serve side by side with them every day. Specifically, I wanna sing out, single out my appreciation for former US Attorney Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi for giving me my first chance in department leadership. Former US Attorney Erin Neely Cox. for bringing me to the Northern District of Texas. And finally current US Attorney Ryan Raybold for hiring me as his first assistant US Attorney. I also wanna acknowledge three of my US Attorney colleagues who are here today to support me. Jeremy Fugate, Fabio Leonardi, and Ted Kuperstein. Last, but certainly li- certainly not least, I wanna thank all of my high school and football coaches, and college football coaches. along with all the incredible teachers I had through the years. Today is their success as well. I will end it, I will end with this. From the moment I chose to pursue a legal career, my motivation has always been to serve and strengthen our great country, not for personal gain, but out of a deep commitment to accomplish what is best for America. If I'm fortunate enough to be confirmed, I commit to all of you that I will conduct myself with faithfulness and fidelity to the Constitution. and the rule of law. Thank you.

Thank you.

Now Judge Paramerica.

Thank you, Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin, and members of this committee for having me here today. I'll be brief and begin by giving glory to God. I'm immensely grateful to President Trump for this nomination and to my home state senators James Lankford and Alan Armstrong for their support. I'd like to also recognize my beautiful wife, Caitlin, my greatest advocate, who is here with my loving in-laws, Kevin and Donna Roether, and thank you to my sister-in-law, Carly, the best elementary school teacher in the country, for joining us as well. My parents could not make the trip, but I especially want to thank them. The sacrifices they made to give my brother and me opportunities like this are too numerous to capture in a brief statement. My mom is now just weeks from retirement after working tirelessly for many years. at times three different jobs to support my brother and me growing up. Mom, I'm very proud of you. I'd also like to recognize my brother, Derek, his wife, Jamie, and my nephew and niece, Leland and Elena, who aren't here but may be watching from home. Finally, I'm grateful for the many friends and mentors who have invested in me, including the late Mark Burgett, who exemplified humility and grace. while we strive to do the same while faithfully applying the law as written without fear or favor. Thank you again for the opportunity to be here. I look forward to your questions.

Thank you, Judge Pemberton. Now, Judge Radin.

Chairman Grassley. Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin. Thank you for holding this hearing, and for allowing me and my fellow nominees to appear. I would like to thank President Trump for this nomination. the professional honor of a lifetime and i'm humbled by his confidence in me i wanna thank senator merkowski for her introduction and i wanna thank her and senator sullivan and their staffs for the work that they have done on behalf of my nomination before acknowledging the people who are here with me today i wanna recognize those who could not be here my judicial assistant erica my law clerk chloe and my principal courtroom deputy alexis and everyone in the district court for the district of alaska for their support and encouragement throughout this process. i'm joined here today by family friend ashley conlon and by my longtime army buddy, greg weiss. and i wanna thank greg for his support throughout this confirmation process and nomination process. i'm also joined by my family, my brother pat and his wife leslie. my brother is everything an older brother should be, a role model, a protector, and someone who was and remains a hero to me. i'm joined by my parents, jean and melody my parents gave so much to my brother and i to ensure that we had every opportunity to succeed words cannot express how grateful i am for all that they have done my kids are here today and i am thankful to their teachers for excusing them from their classes so that they can experience our constitution in action my kids are kind talented and smart And I am proud of the fine young men that they are. And finally, I wanna acknowledge my wife. My wife is an incredible, beautiful woman, an accomplished engineer, a dedicated public servant, committed to making Alaska a better and safer place, and a wonderful mother and partner. Sitting here today, I realize that I have far surpassed what I thought was possible, from a legal career when I applied to law school. I'm thankful that my skills and good fortune have allowed me to serve the people of this country and of my state. I hope to continue that service as United States District Judge for the District of Alaska. Thank you and I look forward to your questions.

Thank you Judge Reardon, now Mister West.

Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin, it is truly an honor to be back here today, a decade after I worked for this committee. Thank you, President Trump, for your unwavering support and for nominating me to this position. And thank you, Senator Lankford and Senator Armstrong, for your support and for Senator Lankford's kind comments here. I also wanna thank Senator Cruz for taking a chance all those years ago on an okie like me. There are so many more people I could acknowledge, but first and foremost, I must offer my praise to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Next, I cannot say enough about my beautiful wife, Alicia. who is here with me and has meant everything to me over the past seventeen years. We got married after my first year of law school at the University of Oklahoma, and it is no coincidence that my grades improved immediately. Raising five children with Alicia is the privilege of my life. Unfortunately, only one of those kiddos could be here today, the youngest, since the others had sports and music commitments back in Oklahoma, but that's okay. This may be the one instance where the youngest child gets to experience something that none of the older siblings ever did. I also owe a mountain of gratitude to my parents, Laban and Susie West, for their unwavering support, prayers, and encouragement throughout the years. They could not be here today, but I wish they were, and I wish that there was a piano in this room, so my dad could perform for you. Then you could listen to a truly talented West, rather than just me. I would also like to recognize my brother-in-law, Darren Hudson, his wife, Mary, and their daughter, who have joined us here today, as well as our friends, Randy and Sarah Alice. Thank you for your support. Finally, I'd like to express my appreciation to Judge Bobby Baldock and Judge Jayleon Holmes for hiring me as a law clerk all of those years ago. I wouldn't be here without the foundational example that they set for me in chambers as humble men dedicated to the rule of law. i hope that i can follow their example i'm happy to answer your questions

thank you we'll now go to questioning and uh i'll start we'll have five minute rounds judge balou you've spent uh at least twenty five years as a state judge in that time you've presided over thousands of cases and i understand a hundred and twenty jury trials please tell us what you learned as a state judge that you will help you be a federal judge

Uh thank you uh Mister Chairman. Um over the years uh serving on the bench, I have um learned a lot, learn a lot every day. So next week I'll learn even more. And I think one of the most important things for a judge is to maintain an uh open mind, open ears, and uh be a good listener and a good learner. So obviously following the law is the most important thing, not making, But there are also there are also other attributes that are very very important. And uh one another attributes very important is, don't ever forget, when you come in the room and a bailiff says, I'll rise, they're not getting up for Dan. Uh they're getting up for the Court of Justice. Uh they all rise in recognition and respect for our system, not any individual, especially not the referee. which is what the judge is so that's one of the things i learned keeps you humble and keeps you open-minded to maintain that perspective

judge bennett

thank you

uh prior to becoming a magistrate judge you spent more than a decade as a prosecutor in texas you've seen the inside of of the uh s district courthouse from both angles as an advocate and as a judge please tell us how these roles shape your view on the administration of justice.

Thank you, Chairman Grassley. As a prosecutor in Houston in the Southern District of Texas, my duty was to see that justice was done in accordance with the Constitution and the laws that meant that all the cases that are prosecuted were supported by probable cause and could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. That also meant protecting the rights of si- of of uh victims, making sure that the victims were heard and that their rights were upheld. It also made it also meant to um make sure that the defendant's rights under the constitution, particularly the fourth, fifth and sixth amendments were followed. It also meant that appearing before those judges that you needed to be prepared, you needed to know the law and the facts of your case, and being able to argue those concisely and efficiently before a judge or a jury. Similarly, as a magistrate judge, I strive to be a fair partial judge following the law and the constitution. I make sure, I strive to make sure that the litigants who appear before me, that their rights are upheld, that they're able to present their cases through motion practice, through hearings, or through trial if need be. That also means, again, being prepared. Before walking into my courtroom, I make sure to read the pleadings filed by the parties, make sure to research the law, so that I walk in there knowing the issues that I need to rule on and recognize.

OK, Mister Coker.

Bottom line, Senator, is that in most of those positions, you must follow the law, follow the Constitution, be fair and impartial. That's what's expected in the Southern District of Texas. That's what I try strive to do as a magistrate judge. And if I'm unfortunate enough to be confirmed, that's what I will continue to do as a United States District Judge. Thank you.

Thank you, Mister Coker. You've been in US Attorney's offices at least four different locations. Uh, we don't have very many people that's traveled that route very often, if at all. Uh, currently you're a first assistant to Northern District, Texas. What have you learned from handling cases in so many different parts of the country, and how that's prepared you to handle the diversity of matters that you'd see as a district judge?

Yes, Senator. Um, for the last eighteen and a half years, I've grown up in the district courtrooms, uh, in all of the five districts that I've served in. It's given me an opportunity to see a a vast, uh, uh, different kinds of crimes, uh, interacted with, uh, different, uh, kinds of people, uh, been able to put together different kinds of teams. I've alfa- I've also had a chance to, uh, see the positives and - and - and the best practices of numerous federal judges throughout these five districts. But the one thing through all five districts that I've um has been a constant is when you go to different districts, the one thing that you can do that's constant is you bury yourself in the rules. So I've always, always gone back to the federal rules. Developing that kind of habit, uh whether it be the uh prosecuting the Colombian uh narco traffickers in the southern district of Florida and the district of Puerto Rico, or the Mexican cartels in the Northern District of Texas. The one North Star that I've always uh come back to is fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law and I believe that those attributes will help me if I'm lucky enough to be confirmed. Thank you, Senator.

Yeah. Uh, my time's up, so I'm going to have to submit my questions for the rest of you in writing, unless we got time at the tail end. Senator Durbin.

Thanks Chairman Grassley and thank you all for being here uh today. Excuse me. I uh welcome your family and friends for this important day in your life. Judge Balou first. Thank you for serving our country and for reminding us that uh uh many people see public service beyond the courtroom and you have in your life experience. So I'd I'd like to ask you about something. Last week I was in Joliet, Illinois, not too far from Chicago. It was the annual observance of the specialty courts in that jurisdiction. These are courts that are specially designed for nonviolent defendants who are suffering from drug problems, for example, or previous veterans who come out of the service dealing with PTSD. We found that the justice system, if it's flexible in dealing with them in that circumstance, can get much better results, can try to finally shake any addiction to alcohol or drugs, and set them on a path for a good life. This has been going on year after year after year. I'm a big supporter of drug courts, veterans courts, specialty courts like the one in Joliette. You called these courts social engineering and claimed that they quote " do great harm" by validating and encouraging, excuse making, and promoting a lack of accountability. Could you explain that?