Patrick Ryan Op-Ed on Arvo Mikkanen Nomination

Excerpts from The Oklahoman:

Three weeks ago, President Obama nominated Arvo Mikkanen for the position of U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma. He is an extraordinarily qualified candidate. That is why I was disappointed to read that our two senators have announced their opposition to the nomination and are now asking that it be withdrawn. I was stunned to learn that our senators made these pronouncements before the paperwork detailing Arvo’s stellar 25-year legal career and service to the United States had been delivered to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

I am not a politician. I am a courtroom lawyer. I have tried many civil and criminal cases, including the prosecution of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. I may not fully understand the confirmation process and I am aware the senators maintain that the White House failed to follow some Washington customs. However, any system that fails to confirm Arvo Mikkanen’s nomination is a broken system.

Rarely have I seen a nominee of his equal in my 42-year career. I know his intellect, work ethic and attitude from my service with him as U.S. attorney.

Arvo graduated from Dartmouth College and Yale Law School. He was a law clerk for federal judges in Washington, D.C., and Texas. Thereafter, Arvo worked at Andrews Davis, one of the most prestigious law firms in Oklahoma, for about six years. While there, he worked as a civil trial lawyer in a wide variety of business law matters.

As an assistant U.S. attorney, Arvo has worked both in the criminal and civil divisions. He was and still is one of the most versatile attorneys in the office and is respected by his colleagues and judges alike. He frequently advises other Justice Department offices and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, and has received praise from prosecutors from both political parties from across the country.

Perhaps Arvo’s greatest attribute is his sense of fairness. The obligation of all prosecutors is fairness in all decisions. His temperament is never vindictive. He is guided by a strong moral compass. In the past 16 years, I have never heard anyone say a critical word concerning Arvo’s work, intellect, abilities or ethics. I would be surprised to learn that anyone with reservations about the nomination actually knew Arvo or had even met him.

I also know he went through four federal background checks during his 16 years with the Justice Department and was recognized by the FBI for his prosecutorial skills. An independent panel from the American Bar Association unanimously found him to be qualified for the federal bench. I know that as citizens we are fortunate that Arvo has devoted his talents, intellect and abilities to the service of our nation.

What I don’t know is whether the politics of the confirmation process will ultimately cost us one fine judge who has worked hard all his life. If so, that would truly be unfortunate.

Ryan, former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, is now in private practice in Oklahoma City.

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