November 1, 2016
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Feinstein:
On unanimous action of the Inland Action Board of Directors, this letter expresses support for the application of U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym for appointment as District Judge to the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California.
For over five years, Judge Pym has served as a magistrate judge. She has established a reputation as a fair and competent judge and is highly respected by the legal community and her peers. She has practiced in both the private and public sectors, including service as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2002 to 2011.
Appointment of Magistrate Judge Pym is critical to serving residents of the Inland Southern California Region, not only for her excellent knowledge and background in the Eastern Division of the Central District of the U.S. District Court, but also because of the severe shortage of judges serving the Division. As you are well aware, the Eastern Division serves all of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The Division now has only one judge sitting in the District Courthouse in Riverside, due to the transfer of Judge Virginia Phillips to Los Angeles in order for her to assume the role of Chief Judge of the Central District. Currently, over fifty percent of the cases filed in Riverside are being transferred to Santa Ana and Los Angeles, causing substantial cost and inconvenience to the parties, witnesses, counsel and court personnel.
Magistrate Judge Pym resides locally and would therefore, if appointed, be committed to serve in Riverside and to help mitigate the problems caused by the acute shortage of judges in the Eastern Division. We believe her background and service as a magistrate judge make her an ideal candidate for the district judgeship position. We respectfully urge that you give favorable consideration to her application.
Inland Action thanks you for your continued efforts on behalf of the Inland Southern California Region and your recognition of the problems caused by the serious shortage of judges in the region. Please let us know if there is anything further that we can do to secure this critical appointment.
Sincerely,
Deborah Barmack
President
Cc: Lartease Tiffith, Esq.
David S. Casey, Jr., Esq.