By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Yesterday, the US Senate confirmed Jay E. Town as US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. The Senate also confirmed, another Alabamian, Stephen Boyd as Assistant Attorney General. On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Birmingham Attorney Kevin Newsom for the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
US Senator Luther Strange (R-Alabama) said on social media, “Today, the Senate confirmed 60 of President Donald J. Trump’s s nominees, including two fine Alabamians. That’s more than the rest of the year combined.”
Sen. Strange said, “Today, the Senate confirmed two outstanding Alabamians to serve in the Department of Justice. I was immensely proud to support the confirmation of Stephen Boyd as Assistant Attorney General and Jay Town as US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, and I look forward to their hard work alongside US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to uphold and protect the Constitution and the rule of law.”
Town was in the first wave of US Attorneys nominated by President Donald J. Trump and is one of the first three to be confirmed by the Senate. He will take office next week.
Town, 43, is a former judge advocate in the US Marine Corps, and has been a prosecutor in the Madison County District Attorney’s Office since arriving in Huntsville in 2005.
US Attorney Town said, “I am humbled and honored to continue to serve the great people of Alabama as United States Attorney for the Northern District. I am grateful for the special trust and confidence shown me by President Trump, Attorney General Sessions, Senator Shelby, Senator Strange, and all of those who supported me throughout this process. I inherit a very capable office and look forward to joining them in continuing to do great things.”
Town served in the Marine Corps for 12 years and was honorably discharged in 2008, attaining the rank of major.
Stephen Boyd previously served as Congresswoman Martha Roby’s (R-Montgomery) Chief of Staff.
Representative Roby said, “It is with great pride and admiration that I congratulate Stephen Boyd upon his confirmation as Assistant Attorney General of the United States”
Roby said. “Stephen is exactly the kind of person our country needs to serve in such a position of great influence. In Stephen, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has an experienced, rock-solid adviser and Congress has a principled, trustworthy conduit to the Department of Justice. I join Stephen’s wife, Brecke and his parents, Ron and Floranne in celebrating this special day.”
Boyd served as Roby’s top adviser for more than six years before joining Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice earlier this year. Boyd was officially nominated by President Donald Trump in April, Boyd has been working as Chief of Staff for the Department of Justice Office of Legal Policy while awaiting his Senate confirmation. Prior to going to work for Congresswoman Roby, Boyd served on the staff of then US Senator Jeff Sessions (R).
Birmingham’s Kevin C. Newsom was confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit with a vote of 66 – 31.
US Senator Richard Shelby spoke on the Senate floor urging his colleagues to confirm Newsom, “I rise today in support of Kevin Newsom, formerly Alabama’s Solicitor General and currently the President’s nominee for the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. … I believe Kevin to be an exceptional choice, Mr. President, for this high honor. I have the upmost regard for his intellect and his integrity.”
Shelby continued, “I am confident that Kevin Newsom would serve honorably and apply the law with impartiality and fairness, which I believe is required of all judges. … I believe President Trump has made the right decision in selecting Kevin to sit on the Eleventh Circuit. I am hopeful that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will vote to confirm Kevin Newsom without any reservation.”
Newsom will serve in the seat vacated by The Honorable Joel F. Dubina, who retired on October 24, 2013. Newsom is a partner at Birmingham law firm Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings LLP where he chaired the firm’s appellate group. He has argued four cases in the US Supreme Court and more than 35 cases in the US Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Tenth, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuit.
Prior to joining the firm, Newsom served as Alabama’s solicitor general. Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Newsom to the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules in 2011, and again in 2014.
There were lots of Trump appointees confirmed this week, including Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chris Wray;
On Wednesday, August 2, AG Jeff Sessions swore in the new FBI Director Chris Wray. AG Sessions said, “Moments ago I had the honor of swearing in Chris Wray as our new Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Chris has the experience and the strength of character that the American people want in an FBI Director and I congratulate him for being overwhelmingly confirmed to that post and look forward to working with him every day to keep America safe.
Sessions said, “As a former federal prosecutor and head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Chris Wray has successfully prosecuted terrorists, drug kingpins, and white-collar criminals. He has earned the respect of his colleagues at DOJ, receiving our highest honor, the Edmund Randolph award, and bipartisan support in the Senate. I am confident that the FBI, the premier investigative agency in the world, is in great hands with Director Chris Wray at the helm.”
