Bush judicial nominees : Unfit for service.
No surprise here, none at all.
Bork him back to the pointy white hood cult that he came from.
sfgate.com
Unfit for U.S. judiciary
Saturday, February 16, 2002
THE NOMINATION of Charles W. Pickering for
the U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans does
not bode well for the direction of the federal
judiciary under President Bush.
Pickering, whose nomination is being promoted by
Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., has a record of
insensitivity toward minority concerns that casts
serious questions on his ability to handle sensitive
cases in a fair and impartial manner.
The Pickering confirmation has become the latest
flash point in a fight that began six years ago when a
Republican-controlled Senate began to stall on
approving President Clinton's judicial appointments.
Now, with the Democrats in charge, Pickering is
getting close scrutiny and - - given the weight of his
baggage -- he presents a ripe target for rejection by
senators willing to stand up for equal rights.
As a U.S. District Court judge in Mississippi,
Pickering has been denounced by a coalition of civil
rights groups for what they regard as a pattern of
hostility toward women and the disadvantaged that
runs throughout his adult life
Among other things:
-- In 1959, as a student, he wrote a law review
article on how Mississippi could strengthen laws
against interracial marriages.
-- As a Mississippi state senator in the 1970s, he
supported a constitutional amendment to overturn
the Supreme Court's landmark Roe vs. Wade
abortion-rights decision. He also helped orchestrate
a strong anti-abortion plank at the 1976 Republican
National Convention.
-- In 1990, he allegedly gave false testimony to the
Senate when he denied having contact with a
Sovereignty Commission, a civic organization that
promotes segregation and opposes civil rights.
-- In 1994, he was accused of misconduct as a
judge for attempting to lower the sentence of man
who burned a cross in the front yard and fired
gunshots through the house of a racially mixed
couple. Pickering ultimately sentencing the man to
27 months in jail, not seven years as recommended
by the prosecution.
While the U.S. Supreme Court makes about 70
rulings a year, circuit courts render more than
10,000 decisions that, by volume alone, establish
important legal precedents. These appeals courts
are no place for ideologues who have a record of
disrespect for basic civil rights.
Charles W. Pickering is the wrong judge for the
job. The Senate should reject his nomination. |
