CHEYENNE - Richard Honaker, a Rock Springs attorney, has been nominated to be Wyoming's seventh U.S. district judge since statehood, U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas announced Monday.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Honaker will fill the seat vacated by the recent retirement of U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer.

As a senior-status judge, Brimmer will continue to sit on the bench, but with a reduced caseload.

Honaker, 56, was the state's second public defender and has been in solo practice in Rock Springs since 1981. He served three terms in the Wyoming House in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a Democrat. He later switched to the Republican Party because he disagreed with the policies of former President Bill Clinton.

"Dick Honaker has a broad range of experience over the last 30 years in both state and federal courts in Wyoming. While his credentials are certainly outstanding, I am particularly impressed with his character and his values which are deeply rooted in Wyoming,� Thomas, R-Wyo., said in a release. �He has the right judicial philosophy - he knows the importance of interpreting the law while not legislating from the bench.�

Federal district judges, who currently earn $165,200 per year, are appointed for life. Wyoming's other federal district judges are William Downes of Casper and Alan Johnson of Cheyenne.

U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., also support Honaker's nomination.

"Dick was born and raised in Wyoming, was the first person in his family to get a college degree, has 30 years of law experience, is a former legislator and a small businessman. All of these qualities plus an admiration for the people of Wyoming and the rule of law make Dick an exceptional candidate to be a federal judge. Dick has what it takes to provide an impartial hand in applying the laws of the land. I look forward to seeing his nomination swiftly acted upon by the Senate,� Enzi said in a release.

Thomas submitted Honaker�s name to President Bush on Jan. 10. After an "extensive review" by the White House, the president selected Honaker as his nominee, Thomas's news release said.

The U.S. Senate will now go through the process of confirming the nominee for the appointment, Thomas said. The nominee is first referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Upon committee approval, Honaker will receive a confirmation vote before the full Senate.

Honaker said Monday in a telephone interview that his background has been in litigation, first criminal, then civil cases.

"I think I'm well suited for this type of work because I've handled so many cases in the federal courts and tried so many cases,� Honaker said. "So hopefully someone who knows the rules well and can apply them in an even-handed way can provide a fair and impartial tribunal for litigants of all stripes. That's what I aspire to do.�

He noted that he saw a newspaper headline that asked who would replace Judge Brimmer.

"The short answer to that is 'nobody,'� Honaker said. �He's always been one of our best trial judges, and he's always been one judge I truly respected, and no one will be replacing him."

The federal judiciary, which includes the nine-member U.S. Supreme Court, 13 appellate courts and 91 district courts, resolves disputes about the Constitution and the laws of the United States, controversies between states, between citizens of different states, and between a state and foreign countries. The federal judiciary also includes magistrate and bankruptcy judges.

Honaker was raised in Laramie. His father�s family came to Laramie in 1919 and operated a grocery store and meat market. His mother�s family came to Big Horn County in 1915 and farmed sugar beets. He received a bachelor's degree with honors from Harvard in 1973 and graduated from the University of Wyoming law school in 1976. He worked his way through law school as night editor for the local newspaper.

Honaker said two of his classmates and friends at Harvard were Al Franken and Billy Crystal.

He said he and Franken washed dishes together as part of their work-study program. Franken told him his summer job was working as a comic in Las Vegas.

Crystal, he said, was an intellectual.

* Born: March 10, 1951, in Laramie.

* Education: Harvard, bachelor's degree in English and government, 1973; law degree, University of Wyoming, 1976.

* Career: Served as a Wyoming assistant attorney general from 1976 to 1979; as state public defender from 1979 to 1981; has been in solo law practice in Rock Springs since 1981.

* Political experience: Served three terms in Wyoming House, 1986-1992, as a Democrat; changed affiliation to Republican and ran unsuccessfully for state House in 1994.

* Family: Married to Shannon C. Honaker for 29 years; three grown children.]]>