Obama nominates Myerscough for federal judgeship

Friday, June 18, 2010 By: Bernard Schoenberg 

President Barack Obama Thursday nominated Illinois Appellate Justice Sue Myerscough to become a federal district judge based in Springfield.

Myerscough has been on the 4th District Appellate Court since 1998. She was a circuit judge from 1990 to 1998 and an associate judge from 1987 to 1990.

“Sue Myerscough’s experience as a state court judge and her stature in the legal community will make her a real asset to the federal bench,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said in a statement. “I was honored to recommend her name to President Obama and am pleased that he has nominated another outstanding candidate for the central district of Illinois.”

U.S. Judge Jeanne Scott is retiring as of Aug. 1.

Judicial nominees receive a hearing and vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Durbin is a member. If approved by the committee, the nominee must also be confirmed by the full Senate.

Reached at her office Thursday, Myerscough declined to comment.

Myerscough was among candidates for the judgeship who were recommended by a committee Durbin appointed to screen candidates for judgeships, U.S. marshals and U.S. attorneys for Illinois. Springfield lawyer James Potter chairs the screening committee for the Central District.

Durbin interviewed the finalists and submitted four names to the president.

Myerscough, 58, a Springfield native who lived out of state for part of her childhood, has a bachelor’s and law degrees from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. A Democrat, she ran in 2002 for an Illinois Supreme Court seat, but lost to incumbent Republican Justice Rita Garman.

She and her husband, Bob Mueller, have two daughters.