Republican senators grilled the president's nominee to the Denver-based federal appeals court for her pursuit of sentence reductions for certain controversial offenders, while Democrats countered that her experience defending indigent clients was desperately needed to diversify the judiciary. Veronica S. Rossman, a public defender for Colorado and Wyoming for more than a decade, appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Wednesday less than one month after President Joe Biden nominated her for the Colorado-based open seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Rossman had the backing of Colorado's two senators, who noted that her work defending those accused and convicted of crimes distinguished her from all other judges currently serving.