Obama nominates Maine justice to federal bench

PORTLAND (AP) — President Barack Obama has nominated Maine supreme court justice Jon Levy to serve on the federal bench.

Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree praised the White House announcement of Levy to fill a vacancy created when U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal took senior status on July 31st.

Michaud and Pingree, along with Sen. Angus King, formed a screening panel that interviewed 14 applicants. Three names were forwarded to the president, who chose Levy.

The nomination goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a vote of the full Senate is required for confirmation.

Levy has served on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court since 2002. Before that he was a Maine District Court judge and served a stint as chief judge. Before that he worked in private practice in York.