David Nye (judge)

David Charles Nye (born October 10, 1958) is an American lawyer and jurist who is the Chief United States district judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. He was a state court judge for Idaho's Sixth District Court from 2007 to 2017, and before that spent twenty years in private practice in Idaho.

Early life and education
Nye was born in 1958 in Lynwood, California. He graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. He worked for Swire's Coca-Cola bottling plant in Salt Lake City, then attended BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School, graduating in 1986 with a Juris Doctor degree.

Career
Nye began his legal career in 1986 in Burley, Idaho as a law clerk to Judge George G. Granata of the state's Fifth District Court. The following year, he joined the law firm of Merrill & Merrill in Pocatello as an associate. He became a partner in 1989, specialized in medical malpractice and insurance law, and stayed with the firm until 2007.

In 2007, Nye became a judge in the Sixth Judicial District and presided over civil and criminal matters for ten years.

Expired nomination under Obama
On the recommendation of U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, President Barack Obama nominated Nye on April 5, 2016, to serve as a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. Nye was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Edward Lodge, who assumed senior status on July 3, 2015.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination on June 21, 2016, and his nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote on July 14. The nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.

Shortly after the 2016 election, Senators Crapo and Risch indicated that if Nye was not confirmed by year's end, they would recommend him to incoming President Donald Trump for renomination in the 115th Congress.

Renomination under Trump
On April 27, 2017, Senators Crapo and Risch indicated that President Trump would renominate Nye to the same seat, and his renomination was announced on May 8, 2017. Nye was unanimously rated as "well qualified" by the American Bar Association, as he had been from his previous nomination in 2016. On June 15, 2017, his nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote. On July 10, 2017, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 97–0 vote. On July 12, 2017, his nomination was confirmed by a 100–0 vote. Nye received his commission the same day. He was sworn in on August 1, 2017 in a private ceremony. He became Chief Judge on January 2, 2019, succeeding B. Lynn Winmill.