[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 190 (Friday, December 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S7273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    Nomination of Benjamin J. Cheeks

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm 
Benjamin Jerome Cheeks to the U.S. District Court for the Southern 
District of California.
  Born in Albany, GA, Judge Cheeks earned his B.A. from the University 
of Miami in 2000 and his J.D. from the Washington College of Law at 
American University in 2003.
  Judge Cheeks began his career in public service as an assistant 
district attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office 
from 2003 to 2010. Cheeks then served as an assistant U.S. attorney in 
the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of 
California between 2010 and 2013.
  Prior to joining the bench, he worked as a criminal defense attorney 
at his own firm from 2013 to 2024. As a member of the Criminal Justice 
Act panel, Judge Cheeks was regularly assigned to represent indigent 
defendants, and those cases comprised 98 percent of his caseload.
  Since July of 2024, Judge Cheeks has served as a magistrate judge on 
the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
  Judge Cheeks enjoys the strong support of both of his home State 
Senators, and the American Bar Association unanimously rated him as 
``qualified'' to serve on the district court.
  Having served as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and Federal 
magistrate judge, Judge Cheeks is well prepared to serve as a district 
judge in the Southern District of California.
  I am proud to support his nomination and urge my colleagues to do the 
same.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. TESTER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
mandatory quorum call with respect to the Murillo cloture motion be 
waived.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.