Kenneth L. Ryskamp
Encyclopedia
Kenneth L. Ryskamp is a Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
.
, Ryskamp earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree at Calvin College
in 1953 and a Juris Doctor
from the University of Miami
in 1956. From 1957 to 1959 he was clerk to Judge Mallory H. Horton of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal
s.
, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 23, 1986, and received his judicial commission on April 24, 1986. He began duty on May 2, 1986. Ryskamp took senior status on January 1, 2000.
to replace Judge Paul Roney, who had taken senior status. The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee chose not to proceed with Ryskamp's nomination, in part because of his membership in a private country club, the Riviera Country Club in Coral Gables, Florida
, that was said to be discriminatory. Some senators also objected to comments by Ryskamp during a 1987 case that they considered to be insensitive. After the November 1990 elections, Bush renominated Ryskamp to the seat on January 8, 1991, but Ryskamp's nomination continued to be held up in committee by Senate Democrats, and it eventually was defeated in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee by an 8-6, party-line vote on April 12, 1991. As a result, his nomination never made it to the Senate floor for a full Senate vote.
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is the federal United States district court with jurisdiction over the southern part of the state of Florida....
.
Early life and education
Born in Grand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, Ryskamp earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree at Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
in 1953 and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1956. From 1957 to 1959 he was clerk to Judge Mallory H. Horton of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal
Florida Third District Court of Appeal
The Florida Third District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Its ten judges have jurisdiction over cases arising from Miami-Dade Monroe Counties.-History:...
s.
Federal judicial service
Ryskamp was nominated for appointment as a U.S. district judge on March 13, 1986 by President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 23, 1986, and received his judicial commission on April 24, 1986. He began duty on May 2, 1986. Ryskamp took senior status on January 1, 2000.
Failed nomination to the Eleventh Circuit
On April 26, 1990, Judge Ryskamp was nominated to a seat on the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit by George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
to replace Judge Paul Roney, who had taken senior status. The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee chose not to proceed with Ryskamp's nomination, in part because of his membership in a private country club, the Riviera Country Club in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
, that was said to be discriminatory. Some senators also objected to comments by Ryskamp during a 1987 case that they considered to be insensitive. After the November 1990 elections, Bush renominated Ryskamp to the seat on January 8, 1991, but Ryskamp's nomination continued to be held up in committee by Senate Democrats, and it eventually was defeated in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee by an 8-6, party-line vote on April 12, 1991. As a result, his nomination never made it to the Senate floor for a full Senate vote.