Delayed Hearing for NJ Judge Part of Usual Political Drama in DC

Over six months ago, President Barack Obama nominated US District Court Judge Joseph A Greenaway of New Jersey to the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, which has covered federal appeals since 1891 for the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania from its courtroom in Philadelphia. While watching C-SPAN2 today, I heard Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the US Senate Judiciary Committee, complain from the Senate floor that Greenaway and over a hundred others are experiencing unprecedented delays in having their nomination hearings scheduled, even though the roster of candidates contains no controversial figures. The ranking Republican member of the Judiciary Committee also rose to speak, mentioning a Republican favorite -- Beverly Martin -- who was nominated in the same press release with Judge Greenaway and is also being delayed. I'd call it business as usual, but business would suggest that they are getting something accomplished in Washington, and that would be incorrect.

A White House press release provides this biographical sketch of our favorite son seeking the Senate's nod:

Judge Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr., 51, has served as a U.S. District Court Judge in New Jersey for more than 12 years. Prior to being confirmed to the federal bench, he was an in-house general attorney at Johnson & Johnson for six years. Before that, Judge Greenaway served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Newark. As a federal prosecutor, Judge Greenaway spent four years in the Criminal Division and served for one year as Chief of the Narcotics Division.

After graduating from law school, Judge Greenaway spent a year working in private practice before clerking for Judge Vincent Broderick, a U.S. District Judge in the Southern District of New York. He then returned to private practice for two years as a litigation associate.

Judge Greenaway has received numerous awards recognizing his judicial excellence, including the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Award of Excellence, the Columbia College John Jay Award, and the Columbia University Medal of Excellence, among others.

Judge Greenaway is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School. At Harvard, he was the recipient of the Earl Warren Legal Scholarship and served as a member of the Harvard Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review.

Judge Greenaway was born in London and moved to New York, growing up in Harlem and the Northeast Bronx. He is married to Veronica Blake-Greenaway and has a son, Joseph, and a daughter, Samantha.