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What is the longest time for a vacancy on the SCOTUS? (Original Post) edhopper Feb 2016 OP
Tried looking it up exboyfil Feb 2016 #1
Probably during John Tyler's administration. NYC Liberal Feb 2016 #2
According to a DI poster, 27 months, BarbaRosa Feb 2016 #3
I have seen 125 days bandied about in several places. CurtEastPoint Feb 2016 #4
2 years, 3 months & 18 days from American Political Leaders 1789-2009 found on Google Books eleny Feb 2016 #5
That's some precedent edhopper Feb 2016 #6

exboyfil

(17,863 posts)
1. Tried looking it up
Sat Feb 13, 2016, 07:48 PM
Feb 2016

Did not have a lot of luck. Nearly one year seems insane. If Obama gets his nominee on he will be the first President since Reagan to have more than two.

One guy on Twitter says 125 days.

https://twitter.com/studentactivism/status/698632681245044736

Here is the document he referenced. Brandeis took 125 days. The Republicans are basically saying it will be a year and a half at the minimum. Not sure how the country will react to that.

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl33225.pdf

Tyler's second seat was the longest vacancy.

http://www.cqpress.com/incontext/SupremeCourt/congressional_pressure.htm

Smith Thompson died Dec. 18th, 1843 and Samuel Nelson came on the Supreme Court on Feb. 14, 1845.

Several lame duck Presidents never got nominations through.
Other lame-duck presidents whose nominees were rejected include John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

NYC Liberal

(20,136 posts)
2. Probably during John Tyler's administration.
Sat Feb 13, 2016, 07:49 PM
Feb 2016

There was a seat that remained vacant for the last two years of his presidency (Henry Baldwin died in 1844, and his successor Robert Cooper Grier was confirmed a year after Polk took office in 1846).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tyler#Judicial_appointments

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