In March 1988, New York Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan recommended Patterson, a Republican, for a seat on the United States District Court as part of a bipartisan deal between him and New York's other senator, Republican Alfonse D'Amato, that permitted New York's senator from the party that was not in the White House to select a small number of federal judges from New York.[4] Similar deals have been worked out over the years between New York's senators to pave the way for nominations of Sonia Sotomayor and John E. Sprizzo, both of whom also were recommended by minority-party senators from New York and ultimately were nominated by the president and confirmed to the federal bench.
On June 14, 1988, President Ronald Reagan nominated Patterson to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated by Judge Whitman Knapp. On August 10, 1988, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary reported on Patterson's nomination on a voice vote without dissent.[4] The next day, however, Republican Senator Gordon Humphrey placed a hold on Patterson's nomination and subsequently queried the nominee about his positions on abortion.[4] Ultimately, Patterson was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 5, 1988, and received his commission the following day.[3] He assumed senior status on December 31, 1998, and died on April 21, 2015, at the age of 91.[5]
