The U.S. Senate has approved the appointment of a Charlotte judge to the U.S. Court of Appeals, nearly a year after his nomination was unanimously supported by the Senate's judiciary committee.
Judge Albert Diaz, a special Superior Court judge for the N.C. Business Court, will be the first Hispanic judge on the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which meets in Richmond, Va., and hears appeals in federal cases in a five-state area, including the Carolinas.
Diaz, 50, was nominated by Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan and supported by Republican Sen. Richard Burr. His nomination would have expired if not approved before the end of this session of Congress.
The senate unanimously approved his appointment today, according to Hagan's office.
Both Hagan and Burr issued statements praising Diaz.
“I am thrilled that Judge Diaz, a distinguished, fair-minded, and well-respected judge, was confirmed today by the United States Senate to serve on the 4th circuit,” Hagan said.
Burr also referred to the length of time it took the Senate to sign off on Diaz and blamed Senate Democrats for not moving faster to fill vacancies on the Fourth Circuit court.
“The Fourth Circuit has suffered for some time under partisan politics," Burr said. "When President Bush left office, the Fourth Circuit was one-third vacant due to the refusal of Senate Democrats to confirm qualified nominees from across the Fourth Circuit – even when they, like Judge Diaz, were uncontroversial, and had unwavering home state support."
