#shorts On 11/30/3033, Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana asked San Diego County Superior Court Judge James Edward Simmons Jr., “Let me just ask you a couple questions. Have you ever tried a case in Federal court?
Simmons: I have not seen there.
Kennedy: have you ever filed a brief in Federal court?
Simmons: I have not practiced in Federal court my entire practice has been in the state court.
Kennedy: have you ever argued a motion in Federal court?
Simmons: I have my entire practice of over 12 years as a prosecutor has been in state court senator.
Kennedy: have you ever you serve as a state court judge have you ever presided over a jury trial as a stakehold judge?
Simmons: in the five years that I’ve been on the superior court bench I have been in a moving department and now I’m the supervising judge
have you ever tried a jury trial?
Simmons: as a attorney I have tried
Kennedy: no as a judge as a judge.
Simmons: I have president with court trials not jury trial sir no so the answer is no I have not presided over
Kennedy: have you in the five years you’ve been on the state bench have you ever uh written any opinions issued any opinions
Simmons: well sir I’ve been in moving departments in the five years I’ve been at a superior court judge we don’t issue written opinions and moving departments so the answer is no in the five years I’ve been on a superior court I’ve been in moving departments we don’t issue written opinions and moving departments
Kennedy: what’s the standard of review for questions of all and the trial court labels de novo okay uh what is the um what’s the holding in map view Ohio and as a
Simmons: since I’ve been practicing as a district attorney for the last 12 years as well as the superior court judge over the last five years I’m I know what the holding is it escapes me as I currently sit here but
Kennedy: what’s the political question doctor
Simmons: I have not as a superior court judge and over the last five years and as a deputy district attorney for 12 years I have not practiced in the federal court so if I am so fortunate to be confirmed I will obviously apply the object will law okay I want to talk about the the united states constitution it is it a doctrine of plenary powers or enumerated powers she enumerated powers there
San Diego County Superior Court Judge James Edward Simmons Jr. was nominated for a seat at the Southern District of California. He’s been in the state court bench since 2017 and worked in the county’s DA office for more than a decade before then. Kennedy questioned Simmons’s experience as Federal Judge.
A Los Angeles native, James Edward Simmons Jr. received a B.A. from the University of California Berkeley in 2001 and a J.D. from the Golden Gate University School of Law in 2004. After a year in the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, Simmons worked as a state prosecutor in San Diego for eleven years. In 2017, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Simmons to the San Diego County Superior Court. Simmons is currently a judge with the court.
Simmons has been nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, to a seat vacated on March 31, 2021, by Judge Anthony Battaglia’s move to senior status. Other than a year at the City Attorney’s Office, Simmons spent his entire pre-bench career at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office as a state prosecutor.
other clips of this published longer video is here: https://youtu.be/mKNZuqALwoc
Kennedy: Have you ever tried … have you ever filed … have you ever argued … ever serve? A: No