The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee criticized his fellow senators for putting off confirmation of 17 district court nominees, including one for Western New York.

Monroe County Judge Frank Geraci Junior was nominated by President Obama and supported by New York Senator Chuck Schumer back in February.

The judge previously attended a committee hearing back in June. Now chairman and Democratic senator Patrick Leahy is blasting senate Republicans, saying politics and partisanship is creating unprecedented obstruction of confirmations.

Leahy said the failure to vote is affecting nominees supported by both Republicans and Democrats.

This comes as Leahy claims there is a vacancy "crisis" in federal courts, adding that a dozen of the 17 current nominees were what he called emergency vacancies.

The Western New York division has been waiting to fill its vacancy for some time.

Previously, former Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green was nominated for the position in 2011, but the Senate failed to vote on Green and the White House did not re-submit the nomination.