COLUMBUS, Ohio -- President Donald Trump has nominated two Ohioans to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
State Solicitor Eric E. Murphy and Chad Readler, principal deputy at the U.S. Department of Justice in Columbus, were nominated Thursday.
U.S. Senate confirmation is required.
Murphy has been solicitor in Republican Attorney General Mike DeWine's office since 2013, acting as the state's top lawyer for major appeals.
DeWine urged senators to confirm Murphy. He said he's "a sharp legal mind" who has capably represented Ohio in federal court.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown opposes both nominations. He said Murphy and Readler have "actively worked to strip Ohioans of their rights," citing cases involving voting rights, banking and same-sex marriage.
The 6th Circuit handles federal appeals in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee.
