Federal appeal court judge to take senior status

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U.S. Court of Appeals judge Terence T. Evans will seek senior status as of January 7, 2010.

His letter to President Barack Obama stated that he was choosing the January date to “bookend” his 34 years an “active” judge, including 30 years on the federal bench.

Evans, 69, began his judicial career as a circuit court judge in Milwaukee. He was appointed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter. President Bill Clinton appointed him to the 7th Circuit in 1995.

Evans, one of two federal appellate judges who work out of the Milwaukee office, doesn’t expect “senior status” to change his work life.

“I pretty much plan to keep working as I do now, but wanted more flexibility on time and when I do my cases,” he said.

He said he plans to still take cases in the 7th Circuit, but also hopes to do some work in the 9th Circuit to be closer to family who live in Seattle and San Francisco.

Evans also expects to hear district court cases in Milwaukee and Chicago.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Richard J. Sankovitz, who clerked for Evans, plans to put his name in for the seat, and expects an “interesting” crop of candidates, which could include U.S. District Court Judge Charles N. Clevert, Jr., appellate court judge Kitty K. Brennan and former state Supreme Court Justice Louis B. Butler.

Once President Obama nominates a candidate, the name is forwarded to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for approval and then to the full Senate.

Sankovitz did not venture a guess as to how fast the process will go.

In March, Obama nominated Indiana Judge David Hamilton to fulfill another vacancy on the 7th Circuit. He is still awaiting confirmation by the full Senate.