How Appealing



Sunday, June 12, 2005

“What about Brett? You can’t throw talented and loyal Republicans like Brett Kavanaugh under the bus for personal convenience.” Hugh Hewitt has this essay in the current issue of World Magazine.

Posted at 11:58 PM by Howard Bashman



“Florida court scandals had their own Deep Throat”: Today in The St. Petersburg Times, columnist Martin Dyckman has this op-ed.

Posted at 11:52 PM by Howard Bashman



“Fletcher picks justice; General counsel to join high court”: Yesterday, The Louisville Courier-Journal contained an article that begins, “Gov. Ernie Fletcher named General Counsel John Roach yesterday to fill a Kentucky Supreme Court vacancy, choosing the youngest of three candidates and the only one with no experience as a judge. Fletcher acknowledged the move was politically risky, but he said Roach, 38, shares his belief in separation of powers and feels that courts should interpret the law and not infringe on the legislature’s power to write it.”

And yesterday, The Lexington Herald-Leader contained an article headlined “Roach named to Supreme Court; Some Democrats call Fletcher’s choice cronyism.”

Posted at 10:28 PM by Howard Bashman



“Immigration Law as Anti-Terror Tool”: This article, the second in a two-part series, will appear Monday in The Washington Post. My links to the first article in the series and accompanying material, all of which appeared today in that newspaper, can be accessed here.

Posted at 10:15 PM by Howard Bashman



Sworn in again? On Friday, The Mobile Register contained an article headlined “Senate confirms Pryor for bench.”

In the fourth paragraph of the article, its author writes, “As of late Thursday afternoon, no date for a formal swearing-in ceremony had been set.”

Of course, Eleventh Circuit Judge William H. Pryor, Jr. has already been sworn in as a judge on that court as a result of the recess appointment that he received from President Bush, and before that recess appointment was due to expire later this year the U.S. Senate confirmed him to a lifetime seat on that court.

All of this raises the question whether there is in fact any requirement in the law that Judge Pryor, given his recent Senate confirmation, be sworn-in again to the post that he already holds. If you happen to know the answer to that question and are willing to share that answer with me, please forward it along to me via email.

And if a new swearing-in is necessary, would a former recess appointee who was confirmed to a lifetime spot on the court before his or her recess appointment expired retain seniority over another judge who was confirmed to a lifetime spot on the same court after the recess appointment occurred but before the Senate got around to confirming the recess appointee’s nomination?

Posted at 9:15 PM by Howard Bashman



“‘Mainstream’ tougher to define than politicians think”: Steven Thomma of Knight Ridder Newspapers has an article that begins, “The Senate’s fight over federal judges this week, like the coming fight over one or more Supreme Court nominations, was waged in a stream. The mainstream, that is.”

Posted at 8:58 PM by Howard Bashman



“Williams: Judiciary under siege; The chief justice presents an argument that travels from the slayings of one judge and family members of another to a plea for higher judicial salaries in Rhode Island.” This article appeared yesterday in The Providence Journal.

Posted at 8:55 PM by Howard Bashman



“Critiquing the supremes”: Today in The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Meredith Oakley has an essay that begins, “There are reasons why Arkansas Supreme Court justices serve staggered terms of eight years each. For one thing, it retards attempts to throw the rascals out.”

Posted at 5:32 PM by Howard Bashman



“Don’t expect a storm over state high court pick”: Today in The San Jose Mercury News, Phil Yost has an essay that begins, “The controversial addition of Janice Rogers Brown to the federal appeals court in the District of Columbia means a subtraction from the California Supreme Court, where Brown has sat since 1996, and an opportunity for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

Posted at 5:30 PM by Howard Bashman



“Efforts to curb abortion proliferate at state level; Abortion foes try to chip away at Roe v. Wade, most recently through laws focusing on ‘personhood’ of a fetus”: This article will appear Monday in The Christian Science Monitor.

Posted at 5:20 PM by Howard Bashman



“TC native ready for appellate court work; Judge practiced law, raised family in area”: Today’s edition of The Traverse City Record-Eagle contains an article that begins, “His nomination took three years, bogged down in politics, but newly appointed U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Griffin is ready to get to work.” The newspaper’s home page today also offers a photo of Judge Griffin together with his wife, one of their three daughters, and the family’s dog, Happy Gilmore.

Posted at 5:15 PM by Howard Bashman



“The Center Can Hold”: The New York Times today contains an editorial that begins, “For those who think Washington is too bitterly divided, which is almost everyone, some relief could be in sight. The bipartisan ‘gang of 14’ that struck a deal to save the filibuster could start to be a powerful force for centrism on the most divisive issue on Capitol Hill – judicial nominations.”

Posted at 8:48 AM by Howard Bashman



In news from North Dakota: The Forum of Fargo, North Dakota yesterday contained an article headlined “Hoeven names judge: Longtime Fargo lawyer gets seat” that begins, “Gov. John Hoeven appointed veteran Fargo lawyer Daniel Crothers to the North Dakota Supreme Court on Friday.”

The North Dakota Supreme Court offers a news release headlined “Governor appoints Crothers to Supreme Court,” and additional links to related items can be found at the bottom of that page. Finally, Friday’s news release from North Dakota’s Governor can be accessed here.

Posted at 8:05 AM by Howard Bashman



“Defeated candidate loses fight over flier; It’s crass but doesn’t defame, judge says”: This article appears today in The Chicago Tribune. Additional coverage can be found in this post of mine from last night.

Posted at 7:58 AM by Howard Bashman



“Handicapping The Kelo Case Is A Difficult Call; Supreme Court ruling in New London eminent domain case could come tomorrow”: The Day of New London, Connecticut contains this article today.

Posted at 7:55 AM by Howard Bashman



“With little fanfare, religious freedom wins big at Supreme Court”: Charles C. Haynes has this essay online today at the First Amendment Center.

Posted at 7:50 AM by Howard Bashman