President Barack Obama has nominated a federal prosecutor from Pittsburgh to fill a seat on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
If Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Ross Haywood is confirmed by the Senate, she'll become the first black woman to serve on the court, which sits in Philadelphia. She's currently chief of the appellate division in Pittsburgh, which prosecutes cases in 25 western Pennsylvania counties. The circuit court handles appeals from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey says he doesn't think Haywood is qualified and some Republicans have urged opposing any of the president's judicial nominations until his term expires.
But Democrat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey says Republicans should give Haywood "a fair hearing and timely vote."
