Terrence Boyle

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Terrence W. Boyle (born December 22, 1945, Passaic, New Jersey) is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

He was appointed to that position by President Ronald Reagan on May 3, 1984 following unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate. He was Chief Judge of that court from 1997-2004.

Boyle received a B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University.

[edit] Fourth Circuit Nomination and Controversy

For five years, Boyle has been a nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He was nominated by President George W. Bush on May 9, 2001 and has been awaiting a vote on the floor of the Senate ever since. His nomination is the longest stalled of the Bush Administration, not counting the fact that Boyle was originally nominated to the Fourth Circuit in 1991 by Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush.

His nomination has been adamantly opposed by Democrats from the beginning. Former North Carolina Democrat and Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards claimed Boyle was an opponent of civil rights and disabilities legislation, but Boyle's supporters believe Boyle is the victim of political payback and obstruction because of his ties to former North Carolina Republican Senator Jesse Helms who derailed several Clinton nominations (Boyle was a staffer for Helms in 1973), and the determination of liberal politicians not to let conservatives serve at the highest levels of the federal judiciary.

In March 2005, following Bush's re-election and an increased Republican Senate majority, the Senate Judiciary Committee at last gave Boyle a hearing almost a full four years after his nomination. On June 16, 2005, Boyle was finally voted out of Committee on a 10-8 party line vote. He has been pending on the floor of the Senate ever since.

In April 2006, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he will try to schedule a vote in May on the nomination of Boyle ([1]).