During his campaign, President elect Donald Trump published a list of 21 lawyers and judges that he claimed would comprise the universe of choices for the Supreme Court. This list was highly scrutinized, as the president-elect will have the opportunity to nominate a justice on his first day in office. ICYMI – three on the list are from Colorado.
Tim Tymkovich is a Colorado native and chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver. Tymkovich wrote the majority ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby, a company that sued U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the grounds of religious freedom, effectively negating the contraceptive mandate for privately held companies under Obamacare. In another landmark case, Tymkovich wrote a majority opinion defending the Stolen Valor Act of 2005. Tymkovich has served on the Tenth Circuit since 2003, and was also Colorado Solicitor General in the 1990s.
Allison Eid has served on the Colorado Supreme Court since being appointed by Governor Bill Owens in 2006. Eid clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and went on to work for the powerhouse law firm Arnold & Porter. Like Tymkovich, Eid also did a stint as Colorado Solicitor General. Her husband, Troy Eid, was U.S. Attorney for Colorado under President George W. Bush, and he also serves on President-elect Trump’s transition team.
Neil Gorsuch is another Denver native, and Tymkovich’s colleague on the Tenth Circuit in Denver. Gorsuch was appointed by President Bush in 2006. At the time, he was serving as a deputy Attorney General in Bush’s Justice Department. Just 49 years old, Gorsuch is one of the youngest candidates on Trump’s Supreme Court list.
While there are some big names jockeying in the national media to fill the Supreme Court hole, the highest court in the land would be well-served to have a Colorado voice on the bench.