The Republican Senate has a terrible record when it comes to confirming minority nominees on the 4th Circuit, and this is an outstanding lawyer who represents an opportunity to remedy the imbalances that exist,' said White House spokesman Jake Siewert. The five-year struggle over vacancies on the 4th Circuit highlights the racial, ideological and partisan tangle that often is created by the judicial appointment process, observers said. Helms said in an interview that he has nothing personal against Gregory or any of the North Carolina candidates. Wilkinson declined to comment for this article, but statistics show that the 4th Circuit disposes of cases faster than any other circuit - cases take an average of 7.8 months to get through the appeals process, versus a national average of 11.9 months. Its pending caseload dropped 22 percent between 1996 and 1999, while the national total rose 9 percent.
Critics say that efficiency comes at a price.
The Congressional Black Caucus argues that the 4th Circuit is part of a racial pattern. Wynn has been waiting 11 months, and the previous North Carolina nominee sat for nearly four years. Ideology and partisanship are clearly a major part of the 4th Circuit stew, members of Congress and analysts say. He never complained about there being too many judges when Reagan and Bush' chose the nominees. Wilkinson, too, did not begin speaking out against large courts until after Clinton took office.