The Leadership Conference Statement on New Judicial Nominations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McNeil, [email protected] 

WASHINGTON — Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program and an advisor at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the president announced his intent to nominate Emil Bove to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and five individuals to Florida federal district courts:

“Today’s announcement of six new lifetime judicial nominees is deeply troubling. Emil Bove does not belong in a lifetime seat on the Third Circuit. Bove’s leadership at the U.S. Department of Justice has been disastrous for our communities and his actions have raised serious ethical questions. As the president’s personal attorney and now in a position where he is leading the president’s agenda to subvert rule of law and seek retribution, Bove is unfit to serve in our judiciary. His record demonstrates that he would not be fair-minded, independent, or committed to protecting the rights of all people in America. He must not be further rewarded with a judgeship where he can serve for decades and undermine our democracy and our fundamental civil and human rights. Bove’s nomination is appalling, but his confirmation — and the confirmation of other unqualified nominees — is not inevitable.

“We need a federal judiciary that works for all of us. Senators must take seriously their obligation to evaluate all the nominees announced today — including five nominees to federal district courts in Florida — and act to ensure our federal judiciary recognizes the rights of all people, upholds the rule of law, and is independent. All federal judges must be fair-minded, possess a commitment to the civil and human rights of all, and have the personal and professional experience that enhance the provision of equal justice for everyone. Today’s nominees provide significant reason to fear that they will never meet that standard.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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