2008 Woodie Awards
Senators cause uproar over Southwick nomination
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
The Senate confirmed Mississippi judge Leslie Southwick's nomination for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Court on Oct. 24, according to the Washington Post.
One of the controversies surrounding Southwick's nomination centered on his agreeing with a decision to take a child away from a parent based in part on the parent's sexual orientation, according to an e-mail from the Human Rights Campaign.
Southwick even joined an opinion that homosexuality is a "choice" that comes with consequences, including the possibility of losing one's child, according to the e-mail.
According to the Web site civilrights.org, Southwick was the only judge who joined in this concurrence. This, however, is not the only reason for concern surrounding Southwick.
According to the Web site civilrights.org, "Southwick voted against the interests of injured workers and consumers in divided decisions 89 percent of the time and received the highest rating of any judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals from a business advocacy group."
The Web site also reports that in 54 out of 59 cases, Southwick voted to uphold convictions challenged on the ground that the prosecution had systematically stricken black jurors.
Southwick also joined a decision upholding an agency decision that a white employee calling a black co-worker a "good old n******" was an insufficient ground to terminate her employment, according to the Web site.
So basically, if you get hurt at work, do not expect help from the court of appeals.
And if you are trying to get an appeal of a wrongful conviction and you are black, good luck.
And if you kissed someone of the same sex one drunken night, do not let anyone find out because your child might be taken away.
Southwick has all ready been confirmed, but there is still action in which outraged voters can engage.
Call Bob Corker at (423) 756-2757 and let him know that you don't support senators accepting judicial nominations just because Bush likes someone.
Encourage him to not always follow his party line and to not be intimidated by pressure from his political party.
Even if you do not have any personal affiliation with any minority groups, anyone can be injured at work. And everyone is affected by lifetime judicial nominations.
Perhaps if he is inundated with enough phone calls from the people he represents, he will break from becoming a rubber-stamp Republican.
One of the controversies surrounding Southwick's nomination centered on his agreeing with a decision to take a child away from a parent based in part on the parent's sexual orientation, according to an e-mail from the Human Rights Campaign.
Southwick even joined an opinion that homosexuality is a "choice" that comes with consequences, including the possibility of losing one's child, according to the e-mail.
According to the Web site civilrights.org, Southwick was the only judge who joined in this concurrence. This, however, is not the only reason for concern surrounding Southwick.
According to the Web site civilrights.org, "Southwick voted against the interests of injured workers and consumers in divided decisions 89 percent of the time and received the highest rating of any judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals from a business advocacy group."
The Web site also reports that in 54 out of 59 cases, Southwick voted to uphold convictions challenged on the ground that the prosecution had systematically stricken black jurors.
Southwick also joined a decision upholding an agency decision that a white employee calling a black co-worker a "good old n******" was an insufficient ground to terminate her employment, according to the Web site.
So basically, if you get hurt at work, do not expect help from the court of appeals.
And if you are trying to get an appeal of a wrongful conviction and you are black, good luck.
And if you kissed someone of the same sex one drunken night, do not let anyone find out because your child might be taken away.
Southwick has all ready been confirmed, but there is still action in which outraged voters can engage.
Call Bob Corker at (423) 756-2757 and let him know that you don't support senators accepting judicial nominations just because Bush likes someone.
Encourage him to not always follow his party line and to not be intimidated by pressure from his political party.
Even if you do not have any personal affiliation with any minority groups, anyone can be injured at work. And everyone is affected by lifetime judicial nominations.
Perhaps if he is inundated with enough phone calls from the people he represents, he will break from becoming a rubber-stamp Republican.
