Debate postponed over Providence lawyer nominated to federal bench

By Fiona Gordon

Providence, R.I. – The Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed the debate over a Providence lawyer and activist up for a spot on the federal court in Rhode Island.

John McConnell Jr., who was nominated by President Barack Obama for the position in March, will have to wait until next week for the debate.

The hearing was postponed to give McConnell's opponents more time to discuss his history of leading lawsuits against manufacturers and businesses - a history they say makes him unsuitably partisan for a federal court.

McConnell's supporters, including his patrons Senator Jack Reed and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, say that this is untrue. They describe the postponement of the hearing as procedural.