[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 24265]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 24265]]

                             THE JUDICIARY

  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Danny C. Reeves, of 
Kentucky, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District 
of Kentucky.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Joe L. Heaton, of 
Oklahoma, to be United States District Judge for the Western District 
of Oklahoma.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the nominations are 
confirmed. The President will be immediately notified of the Senate's 
action.


                     nomination of danny c. reeves

  Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for their support 
of the nomination of Danny Reeves to be a Federal District Judge for 
the Eastern District of Kentucky.
  Danny is a Kentucky native. He grew up in Corbin in the eastern part 
of our Commonwealth, and later went to college at Eastern Kentucky 
University. He then graduated with honors from the Chase Law School in 
northern Kentucky, and clerked for one of Kentucky's leading jurists on 
the Federal bench, Gene Siler.
  Since then, Danny has practiced exclusively at a prominent Kentucky 
firm, specializing in complex civil litigation. In that time, he has 
not only represented a number of Kentucky's leading businesses, but he 
has also done a great deal of community service work, focusing on title 
IX compliance for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
  To be honest, I did not know Danny before I sat down earlier this 
year to talk with him about his interest in sitting on the Federal 
bench. But in the conversations we have had, it became clear that he is 
a bright, articulate lawyer who has the demeanor and integrity to be a 
fine judge. I enthusiastically support his nomination.
  I thank my colleagues for voting for this nomination. Danny Reeves 
knows the people of eastern Kentucky, he knows the law and he knows how 
the Federal bench in the Eastern District works. He is going to be able 
to hit the ground running, and he is going to do an exemplary job. The 
President made a fine choice in nominating him, and the sooner the 
Senate can confirm him, the better it will be for justice in Kentucky.


                     NOMINATION OF JOSEPH L. HEATON

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I am pleased the Senate has just 
confirmed Joe Heaton, an outstanding individual and a superb attorney, 
to be U.S. district court judge for Oklahoma's Western District.
  President Bush could not have made a finer selection to serve our 
country as a district court judge. Joe Heaton is exceptionally well 
qualified and will prove to be a great asset to the judicial system in 
Oklahoma and our country.
  Joe graduated from Northwestern State College in his home town of 
Alva, OK, in 1973. Even before his graduation, Joe's commitment to 
public service was already evident. While still in school, he was 
elected to the Alva City Council and later was elected to serve as 
council president. Following graduation from college, Joe attended the 
University of Oklahoma School of Law where he excelled, making Oklahoma 
Law Review and Order of the Coif. He was also on the Dean's honor roll 
and won American Jurisprudence Awards in Constitutional Law and 
Conflicts of Law. Upon his graduation from law school Joe continued to 
dedicate himself to public service, this time coming here to Washington 
to serve as Legislative Assistant to Senator Dewey Bartlett.
  Returning to Oklahoma in 1977 he practiced law with the prestigious 
firm of Fuller, Tubb & Pomeroy. He is respected by his colleagues as an 
``honorable and trustworthy leader and friend.'' While engaged in civil 
practice, Joe was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives 
where he served until 1992. In this capacity as a State legislator, Joe 
served as the Republican leader for 3 years. His fellow legislators 
have described him as possessing the qualities needed on the Federal 
bench.
  In 1991, I was pleased to recommend Joe's appointment to serve as 
U.S. attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. He joined the U.S. 
attorney's office as a special assistant U.S. attorney and served in 
that capacity until 1992 when he became the U.S. attorney. In 1993, Joe 
returned to private practice until 1996 when then U.S. attorney, 
Patrick Ryan, asked him to return to the U.S. attorney's office. For 
the next 2 years, Joe was acting U.S. attorney while Mr. Ryan was in 
Denver in connection with the Oklahoma City bombing trials of Timothy 
McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Once again, Joe exhibited his strong 
commitment to serving Oklahoma and the Nation.
  Joe and his wife Dee Anne are very active in their church where Joe 
serves as an Elder. They are proud of their two sons, Andrew and Adam. 
I congratulate Joe and his family on his having earned the position for 
which President Bush has selected him. I thank Chairman Leahy and 
Ranking Member Hatch for their work on Joe Heaton's nomination. I 
applaud the Senate for confirming him as he will make an outstanding 
judge who will work diligently to administer justice while serving as a 
Federal district court judge.

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