[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 178 (Monday, October 30, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Nomination of Matthew James Maddox

  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I rise today in support of the 
nomination of Matthew Maddox to be a U.S. district judge for the 
District of Maryland, and I urge my Senate colleagues to confirm his 
nomination.
  I joined with Senator Van Hollen to recommend Judge Maddox to 
President Biden. President Biden nominated Judge Maddox to this 
position in March of this year in order to fill the vacancy created by 
the retirement of Judge Paul Grimm in December of 2022.
  Senator Van Hollen and I have worked to establish a judicial 
selection committee in Maryland, including an open application process. 
In particular, we sought out a highly qualified and diverse applicant 
pool. Our committee interviewed several dozen applicants. Senator Van 
Hollen and I then personally interviewed several finalists before 
recommending names to the White House.
  I strongly agree with President Biden's goal to nominate judges with 
excellent legal credentials from diverse backgrounds from both 
professional and demographic perspectives, and today we have such an 
example of an excellent nominee from Maryland.
  Judge Maddox was born and raised in Maryland and lives and works in 
Baltimore. He graduated summa cum laude from Morgan State University, 
an HBCU in Baltimore, in 1999, where he majored in philosophy and 
religious studies and minored in psychology. After receiving his B.A. 
degree, Judge Maddox was a Fulbright scholar and taught high school 
through the Teach for America Program. Judge Maddox received his J.D. 
degree from Yale Law School in 2011.
  After working in private practice and serving in two judicial 
clerkships, in 2015, Judge Maddox was appointed as an assistant U.S. 
attorney in the District of Maryland. In this capacity, Judge Maddox 
prosecuted a range of criminal cases and conducted trainings for law 
enforcement on the topics of human trafficking and identity theft.
  In 2020, Judge Maddox was selected to serve as Deputy Chief of the 
Major Crimes Section in the Northern Division of the U.S. Attorney's 
Office.
  In February 2022, Judge Maddox was sworn in as a U.S. magistrate 
judge and sits in Baltimore. Judge Maddox now presides over both 
preliminary criminal proceedings and civil lawsuits by consent of the 
parties.
  Judge Maddox therefore also brings remarkable experience to this 
position, having served as a Federal prosecutor for nearly a decade and 
now having served as a magistrate judge for over a year and a half. If 
confirmed and elevated from a magistrate judge to a district judge, he 
would continue to serve in the same court where he now serves and has 
practiced for many years.
  The Judiciary Committee favorably reported Judge Maddox in a 
bipartisan vote in September of this year, and the American Bar 
Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary awarded Judge 
Maddox a unanimously ``well qualified'' rating--its highest possible 
rating.
  I was delighted to recommend the nomination of Judge Maddox to 
President Biden along with Senator Van Hollen. Judicial nominees must 
meet the highest standards of integrity, competence, and temperament. I 
am confident that Judge Maddox will safeguard the rights of all 
Marylanders, uphold the Constitution and rule of law, and faithfully 
follow the judicial oath to ``do equal right to the poor and to the 
rich.'' Judge Maddox will serve the people of Maryland well if 
confirmed for this lifetime appointment. Judge Maddox has strong legal 
and judicial qualifications and has demonstrated a track record of 
public service.
  Let me conclude by saying I know that public service is a family 
affair and sacrifice, so I particularly want to thank Judge Maddox's 
family for sharing him with the people of Maryland in the interest of 
public service.
  Again, I urge my colleagues to support his confirmation.
  With that, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I would ask consent that the vote 
scheduled for 5:30 p.m. start immediately.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.