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Another deepstate judge steps dow

U.S. Circuit Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta plans to step down from active service on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, creating the first new appellate court vacancy since President Trump returned to the White House.

Ikuta, who was appointed to the San Francisco-based court by Republican President George W. Bush in 2006, has told the White House she plans to assume senior status upon the confirmation of a successor, a court representative said on Monday.

The decision by Ikuta, 70, gives Trump his first opportunity in his second term to make an appointment to the 9th Circuit, a court whose longstanding liberal leanings were diluted by a series of appointments the Republican made in his first term.

Forced too?