The three nominees to be the Northern District of Ohio’s next federal judges are a step closer to taking the bench after the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance their nominations.
Bridget Meehan Brennan, Charles Esque Fleming and David Augustin Ruiz are President Joe Biden’s nominees for the bench. They must now be confirmed by the full Senate.
The nominees were recommended by both of Ohio’s Senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman.
“It was my honor to recommend these three highly qualified nominees to serve in the Northern District of Ohio,” Brown said in a statement. “The swift passage of their nominations through committee is a testament to their qualifications. Each of these nominees brings with them not only impressive legal credentials, but also life experiences, empathy and deep commitment to justice. I look forward to their swift confirmation by the full Senate.”
Brennan has served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio since January. She has held a number of leadership roles since joining the office in 2007, according to a news release from Brown’s and Portman’s offices. She was the office’s first assistant from 2018 to 2021, chief of the criminal division from 2017 to 2018, chief of the civil rights unit from 2015 to 2017 and ethics advisor from 2013 to 2018.
Fleming has served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland since 1991. He was the investigative and paralegal staff supervisor from 2010 to 2016 and the Cleveland Trial Team supervisor from 2016 to 2021. If confirmed, Fleming would be the only African-American man serving as an active-duty judge for the Northern District of Ohio
Ruiz has served as a magistrate judge for the Northern District of Ohio court since 2016. He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio from 2010 to 2016. If confirmed, Ruiz would become the first Latino federal judge in Ohio’s history, according to Brown and Portman’s offices.
“I congratulate Ms. Brennan, Mr. Fleming, and Judge Ruiz on the Senate Judiciary Committee vote to report them from committee,” Portman said in a statement. “These three nominees will serve the Northern District of Ohio with distinction and integrity and I look forward to their confirmation by the U.S. Senate.”
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio serves the state’s 40 most northern counties. It has courts located in Cleveland, Akron, Toledo and Youngstown.
