President Joe Biden’s nominee for a federal district court judgeship in Kansas withdrew his candidacy Tuesday after he yet failed again to get rated by the American Bar Association, according to multiple published reports.
Federal prosecutor Jabari Wamble, the son-in-law of Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, announced late Tuesday that he would not pursue the judgeship.
He was nominated for the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, a seat that was vacated by Judge Julie Robinson’s move to senior status in January 2022.
“After careful thought and consideration, I feel that it is best for me to continue my work at the United States’s Attorney’s Office in the District of Kansas. I have been humbled and honored by the faith you placed in me with this nomination,” Wamble wrote in a letter reported by Politico
Wamble was one of six judicial candidates nominated since January who did not receive a rating from the American Bar Association.
He also didn’t receive a rating from the ABA last year when the president nominated him for a seat on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The ABA never explained why he wasn’t rated, and the White House never commented on his lack of a rating.
Wamble’s career has been focused on criminal prosecution.
He started his career at the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office and from 2007 to 2011, Wamble served in the Kansas attorney general’s office.
While at the attorney general’s office, Wamble defended the conviction of Oliver McWilliams for Medicaid fraud.
While the Court of Appeals reversed McWilliams’ conviction, it was later reinstated by the Kansas Supreme Court.
Since 2011, Wamble has served as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas.
During his tenure, Wamble prosecuted Richard Ballard, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud for collecting investment for environmentally friendly bottled water and pet chews.
He used the proceeds from his scheme for personal use.
The Vetting Room, a national legal blog dedicated to discussing, examining and analyzing judicial nominations, gave Wamble high marks when he was nominated to the appeals court but noted his quick potential ascension to the federal appeals court from trial lawyer.
“Despite his youth, Wamble has built a solid reputation during his legal career, which likely speaks to Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran’s relatively positive reaction to the nomination of a young Democrat for the Kansas seat,” the blog post said.
“While some may criticize Wamble for having leapfrogged more experienced candidates due to his connection to Cleaver, there is little to criticize in Wamble’s record itself.
“If Democrats make his nomination a priority, Wamble will likely be confirmed before the end of the Congress.”
However, the legal blog was puzzled by the fact that his nomination for the district court had not advanced.
“When Wamble was first nominated, we predicted a relatively comfortable confirmation to the Tenth Circuit,” the blog post said.
“It is still unclear why Wamble has instead been put forward for the district court.”
