Judiciary Committee Hears From Judicial Nominee Colin Oedong; Vote Set for Next Week

The Judiciary committee held a confirmation hearing Jan. 8 for judicial nominee Colin Oedong, who described his legal career, recounted a formative childhood experience and outlined how he would handle cases with unrepresented parties. Committee members said they will take public comment for about a week and vote on the nomination afterward.

Colin Oedong told the committee that the governor had appointed him and that he completed the court’s standard five- to six-week orientation before being assigned to the civil docket at the Main Street courthouse and to cover matters in several counties. “I have completed the court sort of standard 5 to 6 week orientation and standing program and then assigned to sit in the civil docket,” Oedong said.

Oedong said he and his family live in Shelburne and that his wife works as a neonatal intensive care unit chief at a local medical center. He recounted a childhood trip when his family was detained for secondary inspection at a border crossing after presenting paperwork copies, saying the episode left a lasting impression about how people are treated during encounters with authorities. “We were detained for what is officially called secondary inspection,” he said, adding that the episode influenced his perspective.

Senator Johnson asked Oedong to describe prosecutions he handled as a U.S. attorney and assistant U.S. attorney. Oedong said prostitution prosecutions in his prior jurisdiction concentrated on undercover operations aimed at men who solicited sex in neighborhoods where police and residents said the activity harmed quality of life. On immigration-related prosecutions, he said cases commonly involved illegal reentry after prior federal felony convictions. “The defendants were the johns,” Oedong said of the prostitution cases, and he described immigration matters as focused on reentry by those with prior felony convictions.

Committee members asked about differences among counties and how those differences shape judicial work. Oedong said urban and shipping counties tend to produce more commercial and business litigation, while other counties present property and right-of-way disputes. He said rotating through assignments and seeing a variety of cases provides useful perspective.

On handling hearings that include unrepresented litigants, Oedong said the court should allow people time to explain their position so a judge can understand the matter and avoid missing relevant information. “The benefit of time will... I need to let whoever it is, whether they’re a lawyer or not, time to sort of say their piece,” he said, adding that patience helps parties feel heard even when proceedings must be kept on schedule.

At the start of the hearing, the Committee Chair outlined minor procedural changes for confirmation materials: applicants’ dates of birth will be redacted going forward and applications will be posted on the committee page for public review. The chair also summarized statutory criteria from Title 4, §602 that the nominating process uses, listing attributes such as integrity, legal knowledge, judicial temperament and administrative capability.

The chair closed the initial meeting by congratulating the nominee and saying the committee will leave the record open for about a week for public input; barring unforeseen circumstances, the committee plans to vote on the confirmation a week from the hearing. The committee also noted it will hear from Judge Zelnick at 10:30 later in the schedule.