Judge William Thomas is a sitting Circuit Court Judge in Miami-Dade County. He is the first openly gay black judge to be nominated to become a Federal District Court Judge in South Florida. Judge Thomas is an extremely qualified and hardworking jurist. He has received numerous accolades from attorneys who have appeared before him. The American Bar Association vetted and rated Judge Thomas as “majority well qualified”.

Senator Rubio interviewed Judge Thomas and recommended him to President Obama for nomination almost a year ago to become a Federal District Court Judge. The Federal Judicial Nominating Commission, that Senator Rubio helped select recommended Judge Thomas to become a Federal District Court Judge.

We believe that Judge Thomas should be judged based on his outstanding credentials and experience and not based on anything else. The Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida is need of additional judges to handle an increasing workload.

Judge Thomas would be a tremendous asset to the bench and community He brings years of legal and judicial experience to the court. The time to act is now and therefore we request that Senator Rubio put politics aside and immediately issue a “blue slip” allowing for Judge Thomas nomination process to move forward.