Chief U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford is set to step back from a full-time role on the bench next summer, and the process for selecting his replacement has begun.
Crawford is one of two full-time district court judges on the federal bench in Vermont. President Barack Obama nominated him to the post in May 2014, to fill a vacancy left when Judge William K. Sessions III went on senior status.
Prior to that nomination, Crawford had served as an associate justice on the Vermont Supreme Court since 2013. Previously, he served as a Superior Court judge from 2002 to 2013.
According to a letter Crawford sent to President Joe Biden in August, he expects to step down in August 2024 and move to senior status on the federal bench. He has been based in the federal court in Rutland.
“It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve as a district court judge for the District of Vermont,” Crawford wrote. “I look forward to serving with enthusiasm as a senior judge.”
Judges who have met age and service requirements set by federal statute can take senior status if they are at least 65 and have met other criteria for years of service. Judges on senior status generally handle a reduced caseload.
Crawford could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., announced in a joint press release Tuesday afternoon that together they are organizing a joint Judicial Nomination Advisory Panel to screen candidates for the post and make recommendations to Biden for filling Crawford’s post.
A similar process has taken place for past federal judicial nominations.
According to the senators’ announcement, they will work “in consultation” with U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., and the Vermont Bar Association to recommend candidates to the White House to fill the position.
The senators said the panel is accepting applications now for the position, which will continue to be based in Rutland.
According to a 2014 report in the Burlington Free Press, Crawford was one of two finalists suggested by an advisory panel to fill a vacancy on the federal bench at that time. The other finalist was Burlington lawyer John Pacht, who has since been appointed a state trial court judge.
Crawford’s successor will join U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss on the federal bench from Vermont. Sessions continues to serve on senior status.
