Biden picks state judge Chun for federal bench in Seattle

SEATTLE (AP) — President Joe Biden has picked another nominee for the extremely shorthanded federal bench in Seattle: Washington state Court of Appeals Judge John H. Chun. Chun is the fourth person Biden has nominated to the U.S. District Court for western Washington, with one of those nominees confirmed so far — former Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo. Biden has stressed the importance of ethnic and professional diversity in his nominations. Chun is a son of Korean immigrants who has served on the appeals court since 2018. Before Estudillo’s confirmation this month, five of the seven active judge positions in the Western District were vacant.