And then there were three.
Of the nearly two-dozen applicants to replace a local federal judge, only three people remain, with only one coming from this area.
Longtime 7th District Appeals Court Judge Gene Donofrio was one of those chosen recently by a special advisory committee from southern Ohio. He and two others from the Cleveland area are trying to succeed Judge Peter Economus who now sits on the federal bench in Youngstown.
Donofrio says he told the advisory committee why it's important to have a local judge nominated. Judge Donofrio says the next steps in the process will include interviews with both Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich, as well as undergoing a background check from the FBI.
If he's ultimately nominated by President Obama, it could take a year before his nomination would come up for a vote by the full Senate.
