Last week, conservative Alabama native Judge William Pryor- said to be the favorite to fill the current vacancy in the Supreme Court- reportedly met with Donald Trump. Now, the new President has announced that he will soon reveal his pick to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, fueling speculation that Pryor may seal the nomination.
“We have a number of outstanding candidates,” Trump said. “We’ll announce it sometime next week.”
Pryor, 54, serves as the judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He previously served as Alabama’s deputy attorney general, succeeding now-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions.
Patently regarded as a pro-life constitutional conservative, he was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. He was initially installed through a recess appointment, because at the time, Democrats filibustered a Senate confirmation process over Pryor’s belief that Roe v. Wade was the ”worst abomination in the history of constitutional law.” He was eventually confirmed by a vote of 53-45.
As a federal judge, Pryor has upheld voter ID laws (Common Cause/Georgia v. Billups) and argued against ObamaCare’s contraceptive mandate.
Pryor’s conservative stances led Trump to include the judge among a list of 21 vetted candidates for the High Court.
“The freedoms we cherish and the constitutional values and principles our country was founded on are in jeopardy,” Trump said upon releasing his list in February. “The responsibility is greater than ever to protect and uphold these freedoms and I will appoint justices, who like Justice Scalia, will protect our liberty with the highest regard for the Constitution.”
Other top contenders for the post include 10th Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch of Colorado and 3rd Circuit Judge Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.