A nominee for a district judgeship in Oklahoma faced a challenging nomination hearing on Wednesday when asked to define basic terms by Senator John Kennedy. The nomination of Judge Todd Edelman, made by President Biden in 2022 to serve on the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., was met with opposition from Republicans in the Senate. This opposition ultimately led to the withdrawal of Edelman’s nomination, despite Democrats holding the majority in the Senate.
The controversy surrounding Edelman stems from a case he presided over involving Christian Wingfield, who was awaiting trial for illegal possession of a firearm. Edelman released Wingfield with a GPS monitoring ankle bracelet, only for Wingfield to later be involved in the murder of a 10-year-old boy named Davon McNeal. This tragic incident took place on July 4, 2020, during a “stop the violence” cookout.
Republicans, including Senator Marsha Blackburn, criticized Edelman’s handling of the case, blaming judges like him for the rising crime rates in Washington, D.C. Blackburn, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, opposed Edelman’s nomination and expressed relief that the White House had withdrawn it. The White House declined to comment on the matter.
In an op-ed published in the Washington Post, author Dana Milbank, reportedly a friend of Edelman, defended the judge as an important pick for progressives. Milbank criticized Democrats for not effectively countering Republican criticisms of Edelman and urged them to fight back to preserve democracy.
During his nomination hearing, Edelman was questioned about his decision to release Wingfield. Senator Blackburn pointed out that Wingfield had multiple arrests for illegally possessing a firearm and had been identified as someone who had fired a gun in the street in broad daylight. Blackburn also highlighted that another judge had denied Wingfield’s request for pre-trial release, citing safety concerns for the community.
Edelman defended his decision, stating that the charge of illegal gun possession was non-violent and that Wingfield had pleaded guilty to a lesser charge related to associating with the group responsible for McNeal’s murder. However, Edelman’s arguments failed to convince enough committee members, including at least one Democrat, to support his confirmation.
As a result, Edelman’s nomination expired at the end of the 117th Congress, and President Biden did not renew it. The controversy surrounding this case highlights the challenges and scrutiny faced by judicial nominees and the ongoing debates over criminal justice and judicial appointments in the United States.
Brianna Herlihy is a politics writer for Digital.
