431:
received were confirmed by the Senate in June.) She was confirmed by a 97–0 vote, with both
Michigan senators ultimately voting in her favor. Her confirmation came almost exactly four years after her initial nomination. She received her commission on November 9, 2005.
453:
in
Detroit at the age of 49. Due to her illness and death, Neilson served for only two months on the Sixth Circuit and never wrote any opinions. According to an order of the court published in January 2006, Neilson participated in a decision to rehear a case
448:
in 2003. Though greatly diminished physically, Neilson returned to work and, following confirmation, moved her chambers to the federal courthouse in
Detroit. On January 25, 2006, Neilson succumbed to the lingering effects of her illness, and died of
708:
280:, to which she was elected in 1992, and re-elected in 1996, and 2002. Neilson's chambers were in the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center (formerly the City-County Building) in downtown Detroit. While on the bench, Neilson co-wrote and co-edited
693:
698:
400:. Tensions between the Republicans and Democrats rose dramatically as the Republicans sought to break the filibusters of ten Bush court of appeals nominees (including Saad, McKeague and Griffin) by using the
477:
389:
Contrary to Levin's and
Stabenow's wishes, Hatch gave Saad, McKeague and Griffin hearings, and passed the three nominees out of committee. Furious, Levin and Stabenow convinced their caucus to
649:
304:
188:
43:
66:
713:
502:
405:
497:
688:
624:
723:
569:
613:
587:
718:
423:
agreement in the Senate in 2005, Neilson finally received a floor vote in the Senate on
October 27, 2005. (Fellow Michigan Sixth Circuit nominees
703:
31:
484:
at confirming any more Bush judicial nominees for
Michigan, his nomination was withdrawn and replaced with that of failed Clinton nominee
210:
on
October 27, 2005, and received commission on November 9, 2005. Neilson's service was terminated on January 25, 2006, due to death.
239:
163:
537:
382:, two Michigan nominees to the Sixth Circuit whose nominations the Senate Republicans had refused to process during President
347:
406:
situation concerning the use of the nuclear option and
Democrats' obstruction of President Bush's judicial nominations
184:
412:
joined together to forge an agreement to guarantee certain filibustered nominations up or down votes. Henry Saad and
640:
359:
336:
312:
79:
441:
292:
618:
592:
371:
287:
Neilson was married with two daughters (Elizabeth, Born in 1984 and Mary, Born in 1990). She was an active
470:
445:
413:
362:
began to process the previously blocked four nominees. In March 2003, Michigan's two
Democratic senators,
277:
274:
231:
154:
473:
424:
379:
328:
247:
683:
678:
207:
251:
203:
120:
243:
570:"On the Nomination (Confirmation Susan Bieke Neilson, of Michigan, to be U.S. Circuit Judge)"
259:
227:
158:
542:
367:
512:
488:, now divorced from Levin's cousin. White was confirmed to Neilson's old seat in 2008.
481:
428:
401:
397:
351:
332:
324:
308:
288:
199:
672:
340:
316:
547:
660:
485:
450:
383:
375:
235:
167:
92:
30:
355:
270:
331:
to a fourth
Michigan seat on the Sixth Circuit. During the Democrat-controlled
517:
507:
458:. The order does not indicate whether Neilson voted for or against rehearing.
420:
409:
390:
363:
320:
255:
374:
all Bush judicial nominees from Michigan because Bush refused to renominate
219:
709:
University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni
386:'s second term. Helene White was, at the time, married to Levin's cousin.
327:
to Michigan seats on the Sixth Circuit. On June 26, 2002, Bush nominated
223:
192:
144:
124:
480:, as Neilson's replacement. When Levin and Stabenow again balked in the
455:
273:
appointed Neilson to the 3rd Judicial Circuit of Michigan, part of the
263:
140:
608:
582:
393:
the three in order to prevent them from having confirmation votes.
694:
Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
444:, a rare blood disorder that eventually required her to undergo a
408:, fourteen moderate Republican and Democratic senators called the
699:
United States court of appeals judges appointed by George W. Bush
478:
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
226:, and was a lifelong Michigan resident. In 1977, she received an
440:
After being nominated by Bush, Neilson learned that she had
469:
After her death, in June 2006, President Bush nominated
461:
Neilson was survived by her husband and two daughters.
396:
The Senate Republicans increased their numbers in the
650:
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
305:
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
284:, a two-volume treatise on Michigan civil practice.
189:
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
44:
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
150:
130:
107:
102:
86:
72:
60:
41:
21:
416:, however, were expressly excluded from the deal.
503:George W. Bush judicial appointment controversies
346:In the 2002 midterm congressional elections, the
303:Neilson was nominated to a Michigan seat on the
498:Bill Clinton judicial appointment controversies
350:regained control of the Senate. During the new
319:in 1999. On the same day, Bush also nominated
8:
56:November 9, 2005 – January 25, 2006
358:, R-UT, the new Republican chairman of the
335:, all four nominations were stalled in the
202:on February 14, 2005, to a seat vacated by
183:(August 27, 1956 – January 25, 2006) was a
629:
191:, and before that, a state trial judge in
18:
299:Sixth Circuit nomination and confirmation
714:Wayne State University Law School alumni
614:Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
588:Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
529:
311:on November 8, 2001, to replace Judge
242:. Following graduation she practiced
234:Honors College. Neilson received her
230:degree in political science from the
218:Neilson was born August 27, 1956, in
7:
689:Deaths from myelodysplastic syndrome
404:. In order to defuse the explosive
198:Neilson was nominated by President
724:21st-century American women judges
538:"Much More Democratic Obstruction"
14:
240:Wayne State University Law School
291:and was a member of the Detroit
29:
719:Deaths from cancer in Michigan
1:
704:21st-century American judges
206:. She was confirmed by the
185:United States circuit judge
740:
641:Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy
370:announced that they would
360:Senate Judiciary Committee
339:by then-chairman, Senator
337:Senate Judiciary Committee
313:Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy
266:, making partner in 1986.
80:Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy
16:American judge (1956–2006)
657:
645:
637:
632:
174:
98:
49:
37:
28:
442:myelodysplastic syndrome
293:Catholic Lawyers Society
282:Michigan Civil Procedure
619:Federal Judicial Center
617:, a publication of the
593:Federal Judicial Center
591:, a publication of the
572:. United States Senate.
471:United States Attorney
446:bone marrow transplant
232:University of Michigan
164:Wayne State University
155:University of Michigan
474:Stephen J. Murphy III
425:Richard Allen Griffin
380:Kathleen McCree Lewis
329:Richard Allen Griffin
258:law with the firm of
248:commercial litigation
208:United States Senate
609:Susan Bieke Neilson
583:Susan Bieke Neilson
252:medical malpractice
228:Artium Baccalaureus
204:Cornelia G. Kennedy
181:Susan Bieke Neilson
23:Susan Bieke Neilson
269:In 1991, Governor
244:products liability
667:
666:
658:Succeeded by
625:Sixth Circuit Bio
436:Illness and death
178:
177:
731:
652:
638:Preceded by
630:
596:
580:
574:
573:
566:
560:
559:
557:
555:
550:on July 25, 2008
546:. Archived from
534:
260:Dickinson Wright
137:
134:January 25, 2006
117:
115:
103:Personal details
89:
82:
75:
63:
54:
33:
19:
739:
738:
734:
733:
732:
730:
729:
728:
669:
668:
663:
654:
647:
643:
605:
600:
599:
581:
577:
568:
567:
563:
553:
551:
543:National Review
536:
535:
531:
526:
494:
467:
438:
368:Debbie Stabenow
301:
216:
162:
139:
135:
119:
118:August 27, 1956
113:
111:
87:
78:
73:
61:
55:
50:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
737:
735:
727:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
696:
691:
686:
681:
671:
670:
665:
664:
659:
656:
644:
639:
635:
634:
633:Legal offices
628:
627:
622:
604:
601:
598:
597:
575:
561:
528:
527:
525:
522:
521:
520:
515:
513:nuclear option
510:
505:
500:
493:
490:
482:110th Congress
466:
463:
437:
434:
429:David McKeague
402:nuclear option
398:109th Congress
352:108th Congress
333:107th Congress
325:David McKeague
315:, who assumed
309:George W. Bush
300:
297:
289:Roman Catholic
254:, and general
215:
212:
200:George W. Bush
176:
175:
172:
171:
152:
148:
147:
138:(aged 49)
132:
128:
127:
109:
105:
104:
100:
99:
96:
95:
90:
84:
83:
76:
70:
69:
67:George W. Bush
64:
58:
57:
47:
46:
39:
38:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
736:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
676:
674:
662:
653:
651:
648:Judge of the
642:
636:
631:
626:
623:
620:
616:
615:
610:
607:
606:
602:
594:
590:
589:
584:
579:
576:
571:
565:
562:
549:
545:
544:
539:
533:
530:
523:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
495:
491:
489:
487:
483:
479:
475:
472:
464:
462:
459:
457:
452:
447:
443:
435:
433:
430:
426:
422:
417:
415:
414:William Myers
411:
407:
403:
399:
394:
392:
387:
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
349:
344:
342:
341:Patrick Leahy
338:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
317:senior status
314:
310:
307:by President
306:
298:
296:
294:
290:
285:
283:
279:
278:Circuit Court
276:
272:
267:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
238:in 1980 from
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
213:
211:
209:
205:
201:
196:
194:
190:
186:
182:
173:
169:
165:
160:
156:
153:
149:
146:
142:
133:
129:
126:
122:
110:
106:
101:
97:
94:
91:
85:
81:
77:
71:
68:
65:
59:
53:
48:
45:
42:Judge of the
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
661:Helene White
646:
612:
586:
578:
564:
552:. Retrieved
548:the original
541:
532:
486:Helene White
468:
460:
451:lung failure
439:
418:
395:
388:
384:Bill Clinton
376:Helene White
345:
302:
286:
281:
275:Wayne County
268:
236:Juris Doctor
217:
197:
180:
179:
136:(2006-01-25)
93:Helene White
88:Succeeded by
62:Appointed by
51:
684:2006 deaths
679:1956 births
554:October 19,
356:Orrin Hatch
348:Republicans
271:John Engler
74:Preceded by
673:Categories
655:2005–2006
524:References
518:Gang of 14
508:filibuster
421:Gang of 14
419:After the
410:Gang of 14
391:filibuster
364:Carl Levin
354:, Senator
321:Henry Saad
256:negligence
214:Background
114:1956-08-27
372:blue-slip
220:Ann Arbor
151:Education
121:Ann Arbor
52:In office
492:See also
476:for the
465:Epilogue
343:, D-VT.
224:Michigan
193:Michigan
145:Michigan
125:Michigan
611:at the
603:Sources
585:at the
456:en banc
264:Detroit
187:of the
141:Detroit
556:2008
427:and
378:and
366:and
323:and
131:Died
108:Born
262:in
675::
540:.
295:.
250:,
246:,
222:,
195:.
168:JD
159:AB
143:,
123:,
621:.
595:.
558:.
170:)
166:(
161:)
157:(
116:)
112:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
