The U.S. Senate has confirmed another one of of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees from Alabama.
Judge Terry F. Moorer of Greenville, Ala., earned confirmation in a unanimous voice vote in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Alabama. He will become the first African American judge to serve in that post. He is also the first black judicial nominee to earn confirmation during the Trump administration.
Sworn in as Magistrate Judge in 2007, Moorer is a retired Col. in the Alabama National Guard, and was the primary architect of the Alabama Code of Military Justice. He has a J.D. degree from The University of Alabama Law School, a B.A. degree from Huntingdon College, as well as A.A. degree from Marion Military Institute.
Prior to his appointment as Magistrate Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Alabama from 1990-2007. From 2001-2007, he served as the Lead Task Force Attorney for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, where he was responsible for coordinating the investigation of and prosecution of major narcotics trafficking.
“Judge Terry Moorer is well-suited to be a U.S. district judge in Alabama’s southern district,” said Alabama U.S. Senator Richard Shelby. “His decade of experience serving as a magistrate judge, along with his devotion to upholding the constitution make him fit to serve in this prestigious role. I congratulate Judge Moorer and am confident that our nation will continue to benefit from his dedication and service.”
In November 2017, Moorer appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the consideration of his nomination. During the hearing, Judge Moorer expressed that “a judge must be courteous and respectful to parties and attorneys” and “patient, open-minded, tactful, and fair to all parties.”
Moorer continued by relaying that a “judge should listen carefully to the legal arguments, research the law, and then rule promptly based on the facts and the law.” He concluded by explaining that a “judge must decide matters based on the facts and law,” and while “a judge is still a person and cannot be expected to fully divorce themselves from all life experiences, their life experiences should play no role in the decision-making process.”
