Former U.S. Attorney Matt Mead (R) was sworn in on Monday as Wyoming’s 32nd governor.

Mead served as the state’s U.S. Attorney from from 2001 to 2007. He already has named several of his former colleagues from the office to his administration.

At the swearing-in ceremony and at the inaugural ball that night were several former U.S. Attorneys, according to former Colorado U.S. Attorney Troy Eid, who attend the events.

Among those in attendance were Bill Mercer of Montana, Johnny Sutton of the Western District of Texas, John Ratcliffe of the Eastern District of Texas, Tom Moss of Idaho and Susan Brooks of the Southern District of Indiana, according to Eid.

This story has been corrected from an earlier version.

The new U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana said he is facing a “very steep” learning curve as the top federal prosecutor in the Indianapolis area, the Associated Press reported Sunday.

Joseph Hogsett, who became U.S. Attorney in October, has spent his career representing defendants in civil rights lawsuits and engaging in politics. The former partner at the law firm of Bingham McHale LLP in Indianapolis and onetime chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party has never argued a criminal case in a courtroom.

“I acknowledge that my learning curve is going to be very steep,” Hogsett told the AP. But, he added, “I tend to be a pretty quick study.”

Hogsett underwent “a sort of refresher course in criminal law” after he took office, the AP said. He told the news wire that he can take advantage of the knowledge of the office’s 35 prosecutors when making decisions.

The U.S. Attorney also said he is committed to keeping politics out of his decisions and focusing on Southern Indiana and the Justice Department concerns, including national security and violent crime. The former Indiana secretary of state and candidate for Senate in 1992 and state attorney general in 2004 said U.S. Attorneys “just simply check the politics at the door.”

Hogsett succeeded Susan W. Brooks, who stepped down in 2007.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) on Thursday named former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Massa to head the state Alcohol & Tobacco Commission, the Associated Press reported.

Most recently, Massa ran for Marion County prosecutor but lost to Terry R. Curry. Before running for office, Massa worked as Daniels’ general counsel for four year.

He previously worked in the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of Indiana from 2004 to 2007.

Massa also has worked as chief counsel in the Marion County prosecutor’s office for eight years. He also served as the deputy prosecuting attorney in the sex crimes division in Marion County for one year.

Massa takes over his new position on Monday for P. Thomas Snow who resigned last month.

The Senate confirmed six U.S. Attorneys by voice vote late Wednesday night.

They are:

-- Joseph Hogsett (Southern District of Indiana): President Barack Obama nominated the partner at the law firm of Bingham McHale LLP in Indianapolis and former chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party on July 14 to succeed Susan W. Brooks, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in 2007. Read more about him here.

- Michael J. Moore (Middle District of Georgia): Obama tapped the lawyer in Warner Robins, Ga., on Sept. 17, 2009, to succeed Frank Maxwell Wood, who resigned as U.S. Attorney in July 2009. Read more about him here and here.

- Robert E. O’Neill (Middle District of Florida): The Assistant U.S. Attorney in Middle District of Florida will replace A. Brian Albritton, who became U.S. Attorney in October 2008. Obama tapped him on June 9. Read more about O’Neill here.

- William C. Killian (Eastern District of Tennessee): The sole practitioner at William C. Killian, Attorney at Law PC will succeed James R. Dedrick, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney last summer. Obama nominated him on May 20. Read more about Killian here.

- Mark Green (Eastern District of Oklahoma): The sole practitioner and alternate city judge for Muskogee, Okla., will replace Sheldon J. Sperling, who has been U.S. Attorney since 2001. Obama nominated Green on July 14. Read more about him here.

- Michael C. Ormsby (Eastern District of Washington): The partner at the law firm of K&L Gates LLP in Spokane, Wash., will replace James A. McDevitt, who became U.S. Attorney in 2001. Obama nominated Ormsby on March 2. Read more about him here.

The Senate has now confirmed 72 U.S. Attorneys. There are five U.S. Attorney nominees, who are still waiting for consideration by the full Senate. Among those would-be U.S. Attorneys is William Conner Eldridge Jr., the Western District of Arkansas nominee, who was tapped Wednesday.

There are 93 U.S. Attorney posts located throughout the nation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved two U.S. Attorney nominees by voice vote at its meeting Thursday.

They are:

-Joseph Hogsett (Southern District of Indiana): President Barack Obama nominated the partner at the law firm of Bingham McHale LLP in Indianapolis and former chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party on July 14 to succeed Susan W. Brooks, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in 2007. Read more about him here.

-Michael J. Moore (Middle District of Georgia): Obama tapped the lawyer in Warner Robins, Ga., on Sept. 17, 2009, to succeed Frank Maxwell Wood, who resigned as U.S. Attorney in July 2009. Read more about him here and here.

The committee has now approved 68 of Obama’s U.S. Attorney nominees, 66 of whom have won Senate confirmation. The panel has yet to schedule votes for another six would-be U.S. Attorneys. There are 93 U.S. Attorney posts.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on two U.S. Attorney nominees at its meeting next Thursday.

They are:

-Joseph Hogsett (Southern District of Indiana): President Barack Obama nominated the partner at the law firm of Bingham McHale LLP in Indianapolis and former chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party on July 14 to succeed Susan W. Brooks, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in 2007. Read more about him here.

-Michael J. Moore (Middle District of Georgia): Obama tapped the lawyer in Warner Robins, Ga., on Sept. 17, 2009, to succeed Frank Maxwell Wood, who resigned as U.S. Attorney in July 2009. Read more about him here and here.

The panel has yet to schedule votes for another six would-be U.S. Attorneys. The committee has approved 66 of Obama’s U.S. Attorney nominees, all of whom have won Senate confirmation. There are 93 U.S. Attorney posts.

Joseph Hogsett (Indiana University, Indiana University School of Law, Butler University, Christian Theological Seminary) was nominated on July 14 to be the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. He would succeed Susan W. Brooks, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in 2007.

His vitals:

• Born in Rushville, Ind., in 1956.
• Has been a partner at the law firm of Bingham McHale LLP in Indianapolis since 2000, was of counsel at the firm from 1997 to 1999 and an associate at the firm from 1981 to 1987.
• Served as the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in Indiana from 2007 to 2008.
• Was the chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party from 2003 to 2004.
• Served as ex officio member of the board of directors of Rush County Community Foundation, a non-profit charity.
• Was chief of staff and senior adviser to then-Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh (D) from 1995 to 1997.
• Was secretary of state of Indiana from 1989 to 1994 and deputy secretary of state in 1987 and from 1988 to 1989.
• Served as campaign manager for Bayh’s gubernatorial bid in 1988 and secretary of state of Indiana bid in 1986.
• Was on the board of trustees of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra from 1985 to 1987.
• Was on the board of directors of the Indiana University School of Law Alumni Association from 1984 to 1987.
• Was a law clerk at the Monroe County Superior Court from 1979 to 1980 and 1980 to 1981.
• Was a summer associate at the law firm of Ice Miller Donadio & Ryan (now Ice Miller LLP) in Indianapolis.
• Was an assistant manager at the Rushville City Swimming Pool in 1978.
• Has tried about 37 cases to verdict, serving as sole or chief counsel in almost all of the cases.

Click here for his full Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire.

On his Senate Judiciary financial disclosure, Hogsett reported assets valued at almost $1 million, mostly from securities and real estate, and $218,200 in liabilities from mortgages, for a net worth of $756,000.

UPDATE: On his Office of Government Ethics financial disclosure, Hogsett reported a $320,743 salary from Bingham McHale LLP.

An Indianapolis lawyer is now the frontrunner to become the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, The Indianapolis Business Journal reported Friday. But Joe Hogsett was not the first choice of Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who was pushing for trial lawyer Linda Pence.

The chairman of the Marion County Democratic Party, Ed Treacy, and others with knowledge of the situation told the Journal that Hogsett is now expected to get the nod. Hogsett, who is a partner at Bingham McHale LLP in Indianapolis, served as Indiana secretary of state from 1989 to 1994 and was chief of staff for then-Gov. Bayh from 1995 to 1997.

Hogsett declined comment to the newspaper nor would he acknowledge being under consideration.

The newspaper said that Pence was several months into the U.S. Attorney vetting process but withdrew her candidacy in October 2009. She also declined to discuss or acknowledge her possible nomination with the paper.

Pence, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, was the Democratic nominee for Indiana attorney general in 2008 but lost to Greg Zoeller by nearly 39,000 votes. Prior to joining the firm, Pence worked at Justice Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., investigating corporations for bribery, embezzlement, and tax fraud.

The district has been without a presidentially selected U.S. Attorney since 2007 when Susan W. Brooks resigned after heading the office since 2001. The district’s current acting U.S. Attorney is Timothy M. Morrison. Morrison told the newspaper he is not interested in being nominated for U.S. Attorney.  “Politics has nothing to do with it,” he said. “It’s because I want to stay,” meaning he wants to work in the U.S. Attorney’s office longer than the four-year term.

A candidate for Southern District of Indiana U.S. Attorney has withdrawn her name from consideration, the Indianapolis Times blog reported last night.

Linda Pence, the Democratic nominee for Indiana attorney general in 2008, told the blog that she made her decision after months of deliberation. She was considered to be a frontrunner for the post, according to The Indianapolis Star.

“This was a difficult decision, but I have to say that I’m grateful and honored to have been considered for the job as U.S. Attorney,” Pence, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, told the blog. “I’ve put my life on hold for the past two years — first to run for [Indiana] attorney general and then for this — and I finally decided that I just needed to move on. It’s time to get back to work.”

It is unclear who else is being considered for Southern District U.S. Attorney. Indiana’s senators haven’t announced any of their recommendations for the post.

The Southern District hasn’t had a presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney since Susan W. Brooks resigned in October 2007. Interim U.S. Attorney Timothy Morrison has led the office since her departure. Morrison has recently come under fire in the blogosphere for subpoenaing Philadelphia-based news Web site Indymedia.us for its visitor information.