Judicial Nominations
Sotomayor Confirmed for Supreme Court Congratulations to Judge Sonia Sotomayor on her historic Supreme Court confirmation! NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan hailed the U.S. Senate for voting to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the next associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. "Today’s historic vote is a sign of progress for Americans who want a Supreme Court that values individual freedom and privacy," Keenan said. Read the rest of the press release here. Pending Pro-Choice Nominations Although Supreme Court nominations are the most highly publicized, the lower federal court nominations play a vital role in our judicial system. The Bush administration recognized this as critical and flooded the Courts with judicial ideologues, turning the judiciary over to the very far right wing of his party. Now, President Obama has the opportunity to turn the tables and nominate a judge who values privacy and choice. About Judge David Hamilton - President Obama nominated David Hamilton, a district court judge in Indiana, to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Judge Hamilton has the bipartisan support of both his home-state senators, Sens. Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar, and received a "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association.
- Judge Hamilton, a Clinton appointee, has served as a federal judge since 1994 and became chief judge in 2008. He has spent time in private practice and also served as counsel to then-Gov. Evan Bayh. Judge Hamilton ruled in favor of a woman's right to choose when he struck down part of an Indiana biased-counseling and mandatory delay statute.
The Opposition The anti-choice movement is waging a high-profile campaign to block Judge Hamilton. Here's what the opposition is saying: - Matthew Staver of the conservative Liberty Counsel: "So he's indicated, obviously, based on his affiliation with the ACLU and his rulings that he is somebody who believes in abortion and will legislate it from the bench. He's somebody who doesn't understand and respect our history and certainly doesn't respect the original understanding of the constitution."
"Senate Hearings Begin for Judge Hamilton," CBNNews, April 1, 2009
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