Hoosiers Nominated to Federal Courts

Myra Selby and Winfield Ong

President Barack Obama nominated two Hoosiers Tuesday to serve on the federal bench. Justice Myra Selby has been nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Winfield Ong is a nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

Selby is a former associate justice of the Indiana Supreme Court and currently a partner at Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis. She was both the first woman and first African American to serve on the Indiana Supreme Court when she was appointed in 1995. She is also the chair of the Commission on Race and Gender Fairness.

Ong is currently the criminal chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, a position he has held since 2014. Prior to that, he served as assistant U.S. attorney in the criminal division. Ong was 

President Obama also nominated Donald Schott of Wisconsin for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. All three nominations have been sent to the Senate for approval.

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) praised both Selby and Ong and says he hopes the Senate will quickly consider their nominations. Senator Dan Coats (R-IN) released a statement Tuesday, saying he believes Ong is qualified for the position. However, Coats reiterated his call for an Indiana Federal Nominating Commission, saying Selby’s nomination should be considered by such a commission.