Who made the final cut for Miami federal judge seats and U.S. Attorney? The list is out
Six candidates — a federal public defender, a U.S. magistrate judge, a local attorney and three judges — have made the final cut to be considered by President Joe Biden for two federal judge openings in South Florida.
A newly formed congressional nominating commission chose the six finalists after interviewing 17 applicants earlier this week.
The House commission has recommended: Federal Public Defender Michael Caruso, U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Maynard, Miami lawyer Detra Shaw-Wilder, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Miguel de la O, Palm Beach Circuit Judge Samantha Feuer, and Miami-Dade County Judge Ayana Harris.
The two federal judge seats became vacant after U.S. District Judges Federico Moreno and Ursula Ungaro assumed “senior status.” Ungaro is retiring from the bench this week and going into private practice.
On a separate track, the House commission also picked three finalists out of six applicants to be considered by Biden for the vacant U.S. Attorney’s job in the Southern District of Florida. The 250-lawyer office, one of the busiest in the country, extends from Fort Pierce to Key West.
The three finalists are: Jacqueline Arango, a former federal prosecutor in private practice, Michael Hantman, a Miami lawyer, and Markenzy Lapointe, a former federal prosecutor also in private practice.
In addition, the House commission recommended two candidates for U.S. Marshal in South Florida: Amos Rojas and Gadyaces Serralta.
It remains to be seen which candidates will be nominated by Biden because Sen. Marco Rubio has appointed a separate commission to select finalists for the president. Rubio’s office announced last week that it is accepting applications for the two federal judge openings, the U.S. Attorney’s job and the U.S. Marshal’s position in South Florida.
Rubio has already tipped his hand on one candidate for the region’s top federal prosecutor: The Miami Republican has said through his office that he supports Lapointe, a Haitian-American lawyer who served in the Marine Corps.
After Biden defeated Republican President Donald Trump in November, South Florida Democrats in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, took the unprecedented step of creating their own nominating commission — a role traditionally controlled by the state’s two senators because the U.S. Senate has the sole power to confirm presidential nominations.
South Florida congressional Democrats said the House commission wants a say in recommending candidates who reflect the state’s diversity.
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 1:39 PM.
