WASHINGTON (CN) - Two of President Donald Trump's nominees to seats on the Fourth Circuit had an easy hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, promising lawmakers they would remain independent and fair if confirmed to the federal bench.
The nominees included Judge Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., who returned to the committee just months after the Senate confirmed him to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Quattlebaum cleared the Senate in March and Trump nominated him two months later to the Fourth Circuit to replace the retiring Judge William Traxler Jr.
A former partner at the firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Quattlebaum cleared the Senate comfortably during his first time through the confirmation process. Most of the opposition from Democrats during his first pass through the chamber stemmed from the fact that Republicans blocked the nominations of two African American women then-President Barack Obama originally chose for the seat.
At his nomination hearing on Wednesday, Quattlebaum faced questions about a case that came before him during his short time on the bench in which the NAACP claimed the city of Myrtle Beach, S.C., managed traffic at a rally for black motorcycle enthusiasts differently than a similar rally attended primarily by white bikers.
Quattlebaum denied the NAACP's request for a preliminary injunction, saying the group had not clearly shown at the early stage of the case that the city's treatment violated the bikers' constitutional rights.
When asked about the decision on Wednesday, Quattlebaum explained there is a relatively high standard for granting a preliminary injunction in a case with a limited record.
"As you know senator, the Supreme Court places a very high standard of proof for a preliminary injunction given that it happens early in the case on a small record," Quattlebaum said, in response to a question from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "I found that on the record before me, the plaintiffs had not met that high standard, but the case of course proceeds on the merits. They'll have the opportunity to make that case to the court and jury as the case progresses."
The other Fourth Circuit nominee who appeared before the committee Wednesday was Jay Richardson, who was the lead prosecutor on South Carolina's case against Dylann Roof, a self-described white supremacist who killed nine black members of a bible study group at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in 2015. A jury found Roof guilty on all charges against him and a judge imposed the 18 death sentences the jury recommended in January 2017.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., praised Richardson's work on the case when introducing him to the committee on Wednesday, saying the resolution of the case helped heal a fractured community.
"I cannot begin to explain to this committee the loss and the pain that my community endured in the wake of that horrific event," Scott said Wednesday. "But watching that same community come together to heal with love, forgiveness and grace was one of the most profound moments in our state's history. An important part of the healing process for the families of the victims was bringing Dylann Roof to justice and in many ways we do have Jay to thank for that."