Senate confirms Kevin Ritz as US Attorney for Western District of Tennessee

The U.S. Senate confirmed Kevin Ritz as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Thursday.

President Joe Biden nominated Ritz in July to succeed D. Michael Dunavant, President Donald Trump's nominee. Ritz's nomination followed the recommendation of Congressman Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis.

Cohen praised the Senate's confirmation Thursday.

"I applauded President Biden's choice of this outstanding lawyer and public servant. I was proud to recommend him and have never known anyone with higher commendations," Cohen said.

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Ritz worked as a prosecutor in gun-related crimes before moving to appeals later in his career, even appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2014 to argue whether a man convicted of misdemeanor domestic assault in Tennessee qualified as a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under federal law.

The man, James Castleman, was convicted in Tennessee in 2001 and, in 2008, he was "allegedly buying firearms from dealers and selling them on the black market." Castleman was charged with two counts of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, but that charge was later dropped as federal law did not define it that way.

In September 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a 9-0 opinion that said the 2001 conviction qualifies as a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence in federal law.

Ritz is a graduate of White Station High School and the University of Virginia.

Lucas Finton contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Senate confirms Kevin Ritz, US Attorney Western District of Tennessee