Litigation

Special Interests Get Their Say in SCoTUS Vacancy Media Coverage

By Jason Barrett

As speculation continues to swell over who President Obama will nominate to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter, organizations continue to lobby the president to choose a candidate that will instill some diversity into the bench.

An article in the Examiner seems to endorse Circuit Court Judge Susan
Sotomayor, who, if confirmed, would be just the third woman and the
first Hispanic to ever serve on the Supreme Court.  The article points
out that “a Court that is 88% male is simply unjustifiable. Women make
up 51% of the American population, and 48% of its law school
graduates. There are hundreds of women on the federal bench, and
thousands on state courts across the country.”

Justice at Stake is also closely monitoring interest groups’   activities and statements through the successor process.  Americans United for Life sent a letter to Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  In the letter, organization president Dr. Charmaine Yoest attacks “social  activism” from the bench.  The letter goes on to read:

“The most important question a nominee for the Supreme Court must answer is to articulate their judicial philosophy: will they advance an agenda that limits the right of the people to determine the content  of abortion-related laws through the democratic process?”

With diversity looking to play a key role in President Obama’s nomination, minority advocates are looking to have their voices heard.  The Blog of Legal Times reports that the Hispanic Bar Association has come out strongly in favor of a Latino nominee.  “”It is time to give voice to those who have been voiceless,” says Carlos Ortiz, who is leading the Association’s committee on the Supreme Court Vacancy.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund offered its own opinion in a statement issued by president Henry Solano: “I can think of no better moment for [Obama] to nominate the Supreme Court’s first Hispanic and someone who will uphold our Constitution’s promise of equal justice and freedom for all.”

Conservative organizations are also gearing up for a possible showdown over President Obama’s nominee.  The Washington Post reports that Wendy Long and Gary Marx of the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network stated, in a memo, “”We need a fair, orderly process to educate Americans about the potential nominees that the Obama-Leahy machine seems determined to rush through the confirmation process.”

The Post also offers a Confirmation 101 Cheat Sheet that illustrates what we can expect in the coming weeks and months as the confirmation process rolls along.

Full post as published by The Gavel on May 06, 2009 (boomark / email).