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Richard Cebull |
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Sam Haddon |
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Law
grads fill federal benches
President Bush's first two nominees for U.S. district court judgeships are
both Montanans who graduated from UM's law school.Richard Cebull of Great Falls, a 1969
graduate, and Sam Haddon of Missoula, a 1965 grad, were confirmed to fill Montana's two
vacant federal district judgeships.
Montana has only three federal district judgeships, so the confirmations should ease
the case backlog for the state's only active U.S. district judge, Donald Molloy of
Missoula. U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Conrad Burns pledged bipartisan support for both
candidates to speed the nominations.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 19-0 in favor of their confirmations on July 19
before the full Senate gave their approval.
Cebull, 57, will serve in Billings, replacing Judge Jack Shanstrom, who is on senior
status, a judicial semi-retirement, because of health reasons. Haddon, 63, will fill the
position in Great Falls vacated by U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell, who took senior
status in June 2000.
Cebull worked in private practice from 1969 to 1998 before becoming a U.S. magistrate
judge in Great Falls. Haddon is a partner in the Missoula law firm of Boone, Karlberg
& Haddon.
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