Matthew McFarland
Matthew W. McFarland is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. He was nominated to the court by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on November 13, 2018, and confirmed by theUnited States Senate on December 18, 2019, by a vote of 56-38.[1][2] He received commission on December 31, 2019.[3] To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here.
TheUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of 94U.S. District Courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the court,click here.
McFarland was a judge on theOhio Fourth District Court of Appeals from 2004 to 2019.[4]
Although federal judicial positions are officially nonpartisan, McFarland is a member of theRepublican Party.
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (2019-present)
On November 13, 2018, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated McFarland to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. TheUnited States Senate confirmed McFarland on December 18, 2019, by a vote of 56-38.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Matthew W. McFarland |
| Court:United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 400 days after nomination. |
 ANominated: November 13, 2018 |
| AABA Rating:Majority qualified / Minority not qualified |
| Questionnaire:Questionnaire |
| AHearing: June 26, 2019 |
| QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| AReported: July 18, 2019 |
| AConfirmed: December 18, 2019 |
| AVote: 56-38 |
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed McFarland on December 18, 2019, on a vote of 56-38.[5] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.
| McFarland confirmation vote (December 18, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic | 4 | 37 | 4 | ||||||
 Republican | 52 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
 Independent | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 56 | 38 | 6 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
McFarland was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, theU.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees todistrict court judgeships from 30 hours after invokingcloture to two.[6]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as thenuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[7]
It was the third use of thenuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to theSupreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[8] For more, seeFilibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
TheSenate Judiciary Committee held hearings on McFarland's confirmation on June 26, 2019.[9] The committee voted 12-10 to advance McFarland's nomination to the full Senate on July 18, 2019.[10]
Nomination
On October 10, PresidentDonald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate McFarland to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.[11] TheU.S. Senate received McFarland's nomination on November 13, 2018. McFarland was nominated to succeed JudgeThomas Rose, who assumedsenior status on June 30, 2017.[1]
At thesine die adjournment of the115th Congress on January 3, 2019, the Senate returned McFarland's nomination to President Trump.[12] McFarland was one of 51 individuals the president re-nominated on January 23, 2019.[13]
TheAmerican Bar Association rated McFarlandqualified by a majority andnot qualified by a minority for the position.[14] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.
Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals (2004-2019)
McFarland was a judge on theOhio Fourth District Court of Appeals from 2004 to 2019.[4] He was elected to the court in2004 and re-elected in 2010 and 2016.[15][16][17]
2016 election
McFarland ran for re-election to his seat on theOhio Fourth District Court of Appeals. Two Democratic candidates,Valarie Gerlach andPaul Price, filed to challenge McFarland.[18] Gerlach defeated Price in the March 15 primary and ran against McFarland in the November 8 general election.
Election results
November 8 general election
| Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals, McFarland's Seat, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Matthew McFarlandIncumbent | 66.36% | 130,609 | |
| Democratic | Valarie Gerlach | 33.64% | 66,218 | |
| Total Votes (100% reporting) | 196,827 | |||
| Source:Ohio Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
March 15 primary election
| Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals, Judge McFarland's Seat Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Matthew McFarlandIncumbent (unopposed) | 100.00% | 71,176 | |
| Total Votes | 71,176 | |||
| Source:Ohio Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
2010 election
- See also:Ohio judicial elections, 2010
McFarland received 30,273 of the votes in theRepublican primary. He was re-elected after running unopposed in the general election on November 2, 2010.[19][17]
Early life and eucation
McFarland was born inPortsmouth, Ohio, in 1967. He received a B.A.,cum laude, from Capital University in 1989. He obtained hisJ.D. from Capital University Law School, where he was Order of the Barristers, in 1992.[20][11][21]
Professional career
- 2019-present: Judge,U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- 2004-2019: Judge,Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals
- 1999-2004: Magistrate,Scioto County Court of Common Pleas, Ohio
- 1995-1999:
- Special counsel,Ohio Attorney General
- Sole practitioner, Matthew W. McFarland, Esq.
- Assistant county prosecutor,Scioto County
- 1994-1995: Assistant county prosecutor,Licking County
- 1992-1994: Associate attorney, Faulkner Law Office
- 1992-1993: Assistant city solicitor,Portsmouth, Ohio
- 1991-1992: Law clerk and associate attorney, Mazanec, Raskin and Ryder[20]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2008: Capital University Law School Alumnus of the Year
- 2006: Ohio Association of Magistrates Judicial Award
- 2004: Vernal G. Riffe Leadership Award for contributions to the Boy Scouts of America[20]
Associations
- American Bar Association
- Ohio Association of Magistrates
- Ohio Courts of Appeals Judges Association
- Ohio Judicial Conference
- Ohio State Bar Association
- The Federalist Society
- National Rifle Association[20]
About the court
| Southern District of Ohio |
|---|
| Sixth Circuit |
 |
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 8 |
| Judges: 7 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief:Sarah Daggett Morrison |
| Active judges:Douglas Cole,Jeffery P. Hopkins,Algenon Marbley,Matthew McFarland,Sarah Daggett Morrison,Michael J. Newman,Edmund Sargus Senior judges: |
TheUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of 94United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit based in downtownCincinnati at the Potter A. Stewart Federal Courthouse and Building.
The Southern District of Ohio hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The geographic jurisdiction of the Southern District of Ohio consists of all the followingcounties in the southern part of the state ofOhio.
There are two court divisions, each covering the following counties:
TheEastern Division, coveringAthens,Belmont,Coshocton,Delaware,Fairfield,Fayette,Franklin,Gallia,Guernsey,Harrison,Hocking,Jackson,Jefferson,Knox,Licking,Logan,Madison,Meigs,Monroe,Morgan,Morrow,Muskingum,Noble,Perry,Pickaway,Pike,Ross,Union,Vinton, andWashington counties.
TheWestern Division, coveringAdams,Brown,Butler,Champaign,Clark,Clermont,Clinton,Darke,Greene,Hamilton,Highland,Lawrence,Miami,Montgomery,Preble,Scioto,Shelby, andWarren counties.
To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by theSenate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends ablue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
External links
Officeholder United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio |
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
- Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
- Biography from the Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals
- Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals
- The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judicial System - Ohio Courts of Appeals
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.2Congress.gov, "PN2594 — Matthew Walden McFarland — The Judiciary," accessed April 16, 2019
- ↑Congress.gov, "PN238 — Matthew Walden McFarland — The Judiciary," accessed December 19, 2019
- ↑Federal Judicial Center, "McFarland, Matthew Walden," accessed January 1, 2020
- ↑4.04.1Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals, "4th District Appellate Judges," accessed April 26, 2015
- ↑Congress.gov, "Roll Call Vote 116th Congress - 1st Session," accessed December 19, 2019
- ↑The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," June 26, 2019
- ↑U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," July 18, 2019
- ↑11.011.1WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Eighteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Eighteenth Wave of United States Attorney Nominees, and Thirteenth Wave of United States Marshal Nominees," October 10, 2018
- ↑Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjournssine die or recesses for more than 30 days.Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 11, 2017
- ↑WhiteHouse.gov, "Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 23, 2019
- ↑American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 116th Congress," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑Ohio Business Votes.org, "Court of Appeals Judges," accessed April 26, 2015
- ↑Ohio Secretary of State, "2004 Election Results," accessed April 26, 2015
- ↑17.017.1Ohio Secretary of State, "Judge of the Court of Appeals: November 2, 2010," accessed April 26, 2015
- ↑[Ohio Secretary of State candidate list, received by email]
- ↑Ohio Secretary of State, "Judge of Court of Appeals - Republican: May 4, 2010," accessed April 26, 2015
- ↑20.020.120.220.3U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Matthew Walden McFarland," accessed June 26, 2019
- ↑Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals, "Matthew W. McFarland," accessed April 26, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - | United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio 2019-Present | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - | Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals 2004-2019 | Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Thomas Parker •Elizabeth Branch •Neil Gorsuch •Amul Thapar •David C. Nye •John K. Bush •Kevin Newsom •Timothy J. Kelly •Ralph Erickson •Scott Palk •Trevor McFadden •Joan Larsen •Amy Coney Barrett •Allison Eid •Stephanos Bibas •Donald Coggins Jr. •Dabney Friedrich •Greg Katsas •Steven Grasz •Don Willett •James Ho •William L. Campbell Jr. •David Stras •Tilman E. Self III •Karen Gren Scholer •Terry A. Doughty •Claria Horn Boom •John Broomes •Rebecca Grady Jennings •Kyle Duncan •Kurt Engelhardt •Michael B. Brennan •Joel Carson •Robert Wier •Fernando Rodriguez Jr. •Annemarie Carney Axon • | ||
| 2018 | Andrew Oldham •Amy St. Eve •Michael Scudder •John Nalbandian •Mark Bennett •Andrew Oldham •Britt Grant •Colm Connolly •Maryellen Noreika •Jill Otake •Jeffrey Beaverstock •Emily Coody Marks •Holly Lou Teeter •Julius Richardson •Charles B. Goodwin •Barry Ashe •Stan Baker •A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. •Terry F. Moorer •Susan Baxter •William Jung •Alan Albright •Dominic Lanza •Eric Tostrud •Charles Williams •Nancy E. Brasel •James Sweeney •Kari A. Dooley •Marilyn J. Horan •Robert Summerhays •Brett Kavanaugh •David Porter •Liles Burke •Michael Juneau •Peter Phipps •Lance Walker •Richard Sullivan •Eli Richardson •Ryan Nelson •Chad F. Kenney, Sr. •Susan Brnovich •William M. Ray, II •Jeremy Kernodle •Thomas Kleeh •J.P. Hanlon •Mark Norris •Jonathan Kobes •Michael Brown •David Counts | ||
| 2019 | Eric Miller •Chad Readler •Eric Murphy •Neomi Rao •Paul Matey •Allison Jones Rushing •Bridget S. Bade •Roy Altman •Patrick Wyrick •Holly Brady •David Morales •Andrew Brasher •J. Campbell Barker •Rodolfo Ruiz •Daniel Domenico •Michael Truncale •Michael Park •Joseph Bianco •Raúl Arias-Marxuach •Daniel Collins •Joshua Wolson •Wendy Vitter •Kenneth Kiyul Lee •Kenneth Bell •Stephen Clark •Howard Nielson •Rodney Smith •Jean-Paul Boulee •Sarah Daggett Morrison •Rossie Alston •Pamela A. Barker •Corey Maze •Greg Guidry •Matthew Kacsmaryk •Allen Winsor •Carl Nichols •James Cain, Jr. •Tom Barber •J. Nicholas Ranjan •Clifton L. Corker •Peter Phipps •Daniel Bress •Damon Leichty •Wendy W. Berger •Peter Welte •Michael Liburdi •William Shaw Stickman •Mark Pittman •Karin J. Immergut •Jason Pulliam •Brantley Starr •Brian Buescher •James Wesley Hendrix •Timothy Reif •Martha Pacold •Sean Jordan •Mary Rowland •John M. Younge •Jeff Brown •Ada Brown •Steven Grimberg •Stephanie A. Gallagher •Steven Seeger •Stephanie Haines •Mary McElroy •David J. Novak •Frank W. Volk •Charles Eskridge •Rachel Kovner •Justin Walker •T. Kent Wetherell •Danielle Hunsaker •Lee Rudofsky •Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini •Steven Menashi •Robert J. Luck •Eric Komitee •Douglas Cole •John Sinatra •Sarah Pitlyk •Barbara Lagoa •Richard Myers II •Sherri Lydon •Patrick Bumatay •R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker •Anuraag Singhal •Karen Marston •Jodi Dishman •Mary Kay Vyskocil •Matthew McFarland •John Gallagher •Bernard Jones •Kea Riggs •Robert J. Colville •Stephanie Dawkins Davis •Gary R. Brown •David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 | Lawrence VanDyke •Daniel Traynor •John Kness •Joshua Kindred •Philip Halpern •Silvia Carreno-Coll •Scott Rash •John Heil •Anna Manasco •John L. Badalamenti •Drew Tipton •Andrew Brasher •Cory Wilson •Scott Hardy •David Joseph •Matthew Schelp •John Cronan •Justin Walker •Brett H. Ludwig •Christy Wiegand •Thomas Cullen •Diane Gujarati •Stanley Blumenfeld •Mark Scarsi •John Holcomb •Stephen P. McGlynn •Todd Robinson •Hala Jarbou •David Dugan •Iain D. Johnston •Franklin U. Valderrama •John Hinderaker •Roderick Young •Michael Newman •Aileen Cannon •James Knepp •Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson •Toby Crouse •Philip Calabrese •Taylor McNeel •Thomas Kirsch •Stephen Vaden •Katherine Crytzer •Fernando Aenlle-Rocha •Charles Atchley •Joseph Dawson | ||
| 2025 | Whitney Hermandorfer •Joshua Divine •Cristian M. Stevens •Zachary Bluestone •Emil Bove •Edward Artau •Kyle Dudek•Maria Lanahan•Jennifer Mascott•Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe•Chad Meredith•Harold Mooty•Jordan Pratt•Edmund LaCour•Bill Lewis•Eric Tung•Rebecca Taibleson•Joshua D. Dunlap•Bill Mercer•Susan Rodriguez•Robert Chamberlin•Matthew Orso•David Bragdon•Jimmy Maxwell•Lindsey Freeman•William J. Crain | ||
| 2026 | |||
Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court:Northern District of Ohio,Southern District of Ohio • U.S. Bankruptcy Court:Northern District of Ohio,Southern District of Ohio
State courts:
Ohio Supreme Court•Ohio District Courts of Appeal•Ohio Courts of Common Pleas•Ohio County Courts•Ohio Municipal Courts•Ohio Court of Claims
State resources:
Courts in Ohio •Ohio judicial elections •Judicial selection in Ohio
- Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function
- Appointed by Donald Trump
- Confirmed 2019
- Federal Article III judges
- Federal judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- Federal judiciary nominee, October 2018
- Former state court judge
- Nonpartisan
- Ohio
- Ohio judicial candidates, 2016
- Former Ohio intermediate appellate court judges, Fourth District
- Successful Ohio judicial candidates, 2010
- Federal judge, Southern District of Ohio
- Former intermediate appellate court justices
