Trump Picks Appeals Judges’ Children for Courts in Their Circuit

President Donald Trump has nominated two children of judges on the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit who would sit on courts within their jurisdiction, a rarity for the federal judiciary.

Judge Duane Benton presides in Missouri, and Judge Bobby Shepherd serves in Arkansas. Benton’s daughter, Megan, is Trump’s pick for the Western District of Missouri. Shepherd’s son, John, has been tapped for the Western District of Arkansas.

A federal statute, amended in 1998, prevents family members from serving on the same court. Though “it does not preclude family members from serving on different courts, even those within ...