Fourth Circuit Chief Judge to Step Down

WASHINGTON -- The Republican chief judge of the Richmond-based federal appeals court has announced her retirement, giving President Obama another opening to fill on what was once considered the nation's most conservative appellate court.

Karen Williams of South Carolina, the first female chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, said in a letter to the White House that she will step down from the court. "We received a letter from the chief judge and accept her decision to retire," said Ben LaBolte, a White House spokesman.

The White House would not release the letter, but sources familiar with it said Williams cited illness as her reason for stepping down. She was appointed by former president George H.W. Bush.

The 4th Circuit, which oversees mid-Atlantic states, is an influential voice on national security issues. Earlier vacancies have whittled away its strong Republican majority, and the court now has six judges appointed by Republican presidents and five Democrats, with four vacancies. Williams' departure creates a fifth vacancy, meaning the court will likely gain a 10-5 Democratic majority during Obama's term. -- The Associated Press