Shadid Overwhelmed, Humbled by Senate Hearing
PEORIA JOURNAL-STAR
September 15, 2010
By: Andy Kravetz
PEORIA — A half hour after his hearing before a U.S. Senate committee ended Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Peoria County Circuit Judge James Shadid was still taken aback by what had just happened.
"Humbling. That's really the best word for what I feel. It's so humbling," said Shadid, who was picked by President Obama to become a Peoria-based federal judge. "I really didn't know what to expect. At one point as I was sitting there, I looked around and thought, 'This is unbelievable.'"
Shadid and four other judicial candidates fielded relatively easy questions from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Durbin asked each person two or three questions. After about 30 minutes, it was over. The introductory speeches by the candidates and their supporters lasted longer than the questions and answer session.
Shadid's answers were brief and concise, as was his introductory speech in which he mentioned members of his family. There was no controversy or slip of the tongue. Shadid seemed at ease during the brief hearing, once cracking a joke that garnered laughter from the gallery.
Durbin noted, however, all candidates had undergone an intense vetting process before appearing before the committee. In addition, Durbin said senators who didn't ask questions on Wednesday still could submit questions in writing to the candidates.
The committee will likely vote within the next few weeks on whether to send the candidates' names to the full Senate for a final vote. That final vote is probably a few months off, Durbin noted.
If approved, Shadid, 52, would replace U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm, who announced last year he was taking senior status - a form of semi-retirement where a federal judge can have a reduced case load but still remain on the bench - after 28 years on the bench.
Shadid was appointed to the 10th Judicial Circuit in December 2001 to fill a vacancy and was elected to a full term in 2002. Before becoming a judge, he was in private practice and was a part-time public defender for a number of years.
Sitting next to Shadid was Sue Myerscough, who if approved, would be seated as a federal judge in Springfield.
Some of Durbin's questions were humorous, like one posed to Amy Totenberg, slated to be a federal judge in Georgia, regarding her sister Nina Totenberg, a reporter for National Public Radio. Others were more serious, like one to Myerscough regarding the rights of defendants within the federal system.
When asked the same thing, Shadid told Durbin the Founding Fathers built safeguards into the system to protect defendants' rights. A competent lawyer could make use of those constitutional safeguards.
Durbin commended Shadid, noting his one year of playing minor league baseball and how he was involved in several community activities. Also speaking on Shadid's behalf was U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria.
Schock said Shadid was "a role model for what it takes to clear backlogged cases and efficiently running the courts."
PEORIA — A half hour after his hearing before a U.S. Senate committee ended Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Peoria County Circuit Judge James Shadid was still taken aback by what had just happened.
"Humbling. That's really the best word for what I feel. It's so humbling," said Shadid, who was picked by President Obama to become a Peoria-based federal judge. "I really didn't know what to expect. At one point as I was sitting there, I looked around and thought, 'This is unbelievable.'"
Shadid and four other judicial candidates fielded relatively easy questions from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Durbin asked each person two or three questions. After about 30 minutes, it was over. The introductory speeches by the candidates and their supporters lasted longer than the questions and answer session.
Shadid's answers were brief and concise, as was his introductory speech in which he mentioned members of his family. There was no controversy or slip of the tongue. Shadid seemed at ease during the brief hearing, once cracking a joke that garnered laughter from the gallery.
Durbin noted, however, all candidates had undergone an intense vetting process before appearing before the committee. In addition, Durbin said senators who didn't ask questions on Wednesday still could submit questions in writing to the candidates.
The committee will likely vote within the next few weeks on whether to send the candidates' names to the full Senate for a final vote. That final vote is probably a few months off, Durbin noted.
If approved, Shadid, 52, would replace U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm, who announced last year he was taking senior status - a form of semi-retirement where a federal judge can have a reduced case load but still remain on the bench - after 28 years on the bench.
Shadid was appointed to the 10th Judicial Circuit in December 2001 to fill a vacancy and was elected to a full term in 2002. Before becoming a judge, he was in private practice and was a part-time public defender for a number of years.
Sitting next to Shadid was Sue Myerscough, who if approved, would be seated as a federal judge in Springfield.
Some of Durbin's questions were humorous, like one posed to Amy Totenberg, slated to be a federal judge in Georgia, regarding her sister Nina Totenberg, a reporter for National Public Radio. Others were more serious, like one to Myerscough regarding the rights of defendants within the federal system.
When asked the same thing, Shadid told Durbin the Founding Fathers built safeguards into the system to protect defendants' rights. A competent lawyer could make use of those constitutional safeguards.
Durbin commended Shadid, noting his one year of playing minor league baseball and how he was involved in several community activities. Also speaking on Shadid's behalf was U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria.
Schock said Shadid was "a role model for what it takes to clear backlogged cases and efficiently running the courts."