Senate confirms new federal judge for Middle District

An Atlanta federal prosecutor has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.

The president nominated Leslie Joyce Abrams, an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Georgia, for the Albany-based seat in March. Senators confirmed her for the job Tuesday, according to the Senate website.

The judgeship previously was held by W. Louis Sands. Sands has taken senior status, a form of retirement for federal judges, who are appointed for life.

Sands, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1994, may still preside over cases.

Prior to his appointment, Sands worked as an assistant district attorney in Macon, in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and in private practice. He also was a Macon Circuit Superior Court judge.

He was the first black lawyer to be appointed a judge in the Middle District, which spans an area from Georgia’s southwestern corner east through Valdosta, north through Albany and Macon, and through Athens to the South Carolina border.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398.

This story was originally published November 19, 2014 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Senate confirms new federal judge for Middle District ."