Georgette F. Castner speaking in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Dec. 15, 2021. (Courtesy of C-SPAN)
The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Cherry Hill attorney Georgette F. Castner as a federal judge in the District of New Jersey, the latest in a flurry of confirmations intended to eliminate longstanding vacancies that caused a “judicial emergency.”
Castner was confirmed by a 52-47 vote.
She’s the fifth Biden nominee since last May to be seated on New Jersey’s federal bench; no federal judges were nominated or confirmed during the Trump administration. The vacancies, dating back to 2015, forced judges to handle large caseloads, which created a backlog and delayed cases, according to NJ.com.
U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, both Democrats, cheered the bipartisan confirmation of Castner.
“I’m confident her outstanding qualifications and her commitment to justice will make her an excellent, impartial federal judge,” Menendez said. “During her 15 years of experience in state and federal litigation, Ms. Castner has gained a reputation as one of the brightest and most hardworking attorneys in our state.”
Until her confirmation, Castner was a partner at the Camden County law firm Montgomery McCracken, where she focused on government and white-collar investigations, commercial litigation, and cannabis law. She also has served on the zoning board in her hometown of Moorestown and volunteered at South Jersey Legal Services.
Castner’s confirmation comes just a month after the Senate confirmed Westmont attorney Christine P. O’Hearn for a federal judgeship in New Jersey. Last year, the Senate confirmed Biden nominees Zahid Quraishi, Julien X. Neals and Karen M. Williams for three other federal judgeships here.
New Jersey is still short two federal judges, according to U.S. Courts.
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