» N.M. senators praise nominee for federal bench

N.M. senators praise nominee for federal bench

WASHINGTON – Kenneth Gonzales, President Obama’s nominee to become New Mexico’s federal district judge, received glowing praise from New Mexico’s Democratic U.S. senators at his confirmation Wednesday, while a Republican questioned his experience in civil litigation cases.

Gonzales, who has served as the U.S. attorney for New Mexico since 2010, was first nominated for the federal bench last year, but the 112th Congress never took up his nomination.

Obama resubmitted Gonzales’ nomination at the beginning of the current Congress last month.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., called Gonzales “an exceptional candidate” for the job who grew up in northern New Mexico’s Pojoaque Valley and became the first person in his family to graduate from college. Gonzales began his career as a clerk for Joseph Baca, former New Mexico Supreme Court chief justice. Gonzales became an assistant U.S. attorney in New Mexico in 1999 and took over as lead U.S. attorney for the state in 2010.

Udall said Gonzales has aggressively prosecuted crimes against women and children, as well as drug and immigration crimes and cases involving Indian Country. Udall also noted that Gonzales is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve.

“He is exceptionally well-qualified, and he has shown a reverence for and dedication to the law throughout his career in both civilian and military positions,” said Udall, a former New Mexico attorney general. “He has earned great respect in our legal community in New Mexico.”

Sen. Martin Heinrich also praised Gonzales as a “truly standout” judicial nominee.

GONZALES: U.S. attorney for state since 2010

But Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, questioned Gonzales about his lack of experience with civil litigation during his career in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Mexico. Lee, also a lawyer, noted that Gonzales said that only about 3 percent of his caseload had involved civil rather than criminal cases.

“Do you feel like you’d be prepared for the civil litigation component of your docket should you be confirmed?” Lee asked.

Gonzales said he would.

“My strength is on the criminal side,” Gonzales said. “I had some exposure to civil work as a law clerk – that was a long time ago – but nevertheless, I feel I will come up to speed on the rules of civil procedure and the discovery processes.”

Gonzales, a University of New Mexico Law School graduate, beat out four other New Mexico candidates recommended to Obama in September by Udall and former Sen. Jeff Bingaman, also a Democrat.

Should Gonzales be confirmed, he will replace retiring federal Judge Bruce Black.

It is unclear when the full Senate will vote on Gonzales’ nomination.
— This article appeared on page C1 of the Albuquerque Journal