Jonathan Kobes | |
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| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | |
| Assumed office December 12, 2018 | |
| Appointed by | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Roger Leland Wollman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jonathan Allen Kobes (1974-08-25)August 25, 1974 (age 51) Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Dordt University (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
Jonathan Allen Kobes (born August 25, 1974) is aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Kobes received hisBachelor of Arts fromDordt University and hisJuris Doctor fromHarvard Law School, where he was an editor and the business manager of theHarvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.[1] During law school, Kobes worked at theMassachusetts Attorney General's Office, theUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the United States Attorney's Office for theNorthern District of Iowa, and theChicago office ofMcDermott Will & Emery.[1]
After graduating from law school, Kobes served as alaw clerk to JudgeRoger Leland Wollman of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He then worked from 2002 to 2003 a litigation attorney at theCentral Intelligence Agency and from 2003 to 2005 anAssistant United States Attorney for theDistrict of South Dakota. Kobes was an associate at theSioux Falls, South Dakota, office of Murphy, Goldammer & Prendergast from 2005 to 2008. Kobes was then senior counsel toPOET in Sioux Falls, senior regulatory counsel toDuPont Pioneer inJohnston, Iowa, and Director of Corporate Compliance atRaven Industries.[1]
From 2014 to 2018, Kobes worked as General Counsel to U.S. SenatorMike Rounds. He was also a member of the Central Committee of theLincoln CountyRepublican Party.[2][1]
On June 7, 2018, PresidentDonald Trump announced his intent to nominate Kobes to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.[3] On June 11, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Kobes to the seat being vacated by JudgeRoger Leland Wollman, who previously announced his intention to assumesenior status upon confirmation of a successor.[4] On August 22, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[5] On September 14, 2018, theAmerican Bar Association'sStanding Committee on the Federal Judiciary rated Kobes "Not Qualified."[6] The ABA's report said that Kobes was "a very accomplished, competent, and capable person, but his career path has not resulted in sufficient evidence of a developed ability to do the written work of a United States circuit court judge."[7][8] The ABA report questioned Kobes' understanding of "complex legal analysis" and "knowledge of the law".[2] At the time of his nomination, Kobes had tried six cases during his legal career, cases that the ABA considered straightforward and not "legally complex".[2]
On October 11, 2018, Kobes' nomination was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 11–10 vote.[9] On November 29, 2018, theUnited States Senate invokedcloture on Kobes' nomination by a 50–49 vote, with Vice PresidentMike Pencebreaking the tie.[10] On December 11, 2018, he was confirmed by a 51–50 vote, with Pence casting his vote in the affirmative.[11][12][13] He was the first federal judicial nominee ever confirmed by a tie-breaking vote.[14] Kobes received his judicial commission on December 12, 2018.[15]
In December 2021, Kobes upheld the 20-year prison sentence of a doctor at theU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who misdiagnosed a patient, resulting in the patient's death.[16][17]
Kobes was a member of theFederalist Society from 1999 to 2004.[1]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit 2018–present | Incumbent |