SCOG Justice Leah Ward Sears headed to D.C.?

May 1, 2009 7:37 am

by Pete Randall · 20 comments

Leah Ward Sears, our leftist Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, is on the shortlist to replace SCOTUS Justice David Souter, who is expected to shortly depart his post.

Ward, who describes herself as “moderate with a progressive streak,” had already announced in October she’d step down from her post in Atlanta at the end of June.

The AJC has more on other individuals considered to be on the short list.

{ 19 comments }

John Konop May 1, 2009 at 7:49 am

I heard from a friend who heard it from a friend that Peter was on the list.

hpb1 May 1, 2009 at 7:50 am

Good Lord help us all.

John Konop May 1, 2009 at 7:52 am

The bad news Peter is I bet Obama goes with a Hispanic woman.

* Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Born in 1954 in the Bronx, N.Y. Nominated as a federal judge by President George H.W. Bush on November 27, 1991, and confirmed by the Senate on August 11, 1992. Nominated by President Bill Clinton to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 25, 1997, and confirmed by the Senate on October 2, 1998. Graduated from Yale Law School in 1979, and worked in private practice as a lawyer in New York City from 1984-1992 before joining the New York County District Attorney’s Office, where she served as assistant district attorney from 1979-1984. She then returned to private practice in New York City from 1984-1992.

Pete Randall May 1, 2009 at 7:55 am

Me? Shucks. I’m afraid I would never make it because, unlike Leah, I’m a “strict interpretationist with a streak of strict interpretationism in me.”

Crazy, I know!

macho May 1, 2009 at 9:13 am

He could pick someone a lot worse than Sears.

Pete Randall May 1, 2009 at 9:23 am

He could pick someone a lot worse than Sears.

And he, if he wanted, could pick someone MUCH better than Sears! But he won’t.

Jane May 1, 2009 at 9:26 am

If Sears leaves then, the Georgia court will move to the right. That would be a very good thing.

macho May 1, 2009 at 10:05 am

As much as I hate it, Obama won and with that victory came probable liberal Supreme Court Justices. I didn’t agree with Obama, when he was a Senator, on his willingness to filibuster all of Bush’s nominees.

Icarus May 1, 2009 at 11:07 am

Sears is already leaving next month, if I’m not mistaken.

John Konop May 1, 2009 at 12:49 pm

FYI

Conservatives target Sotomayor, Kagan, Wood

A conservative politico likely to work on the coming judicial nomination battle sends over a memo circulating on the right, which targets three likely Obama nominees: Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Judge Diane Wood, and Solicitor General Elena Kagan.

The early lines seem to be attacks on Kagan’s lack of bench experience, Sotomayor’s “temperament,” and Wood’s rulings on hot-button issues, including an application of a RICO statute in a case against hard-line anti-abortion activist Randall Terry.

The full memo — which is, obviously, tendentious — after the jump.

» Continue reading Conservatives target Sotomayor, Kagan, Wood

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0509/Conservatives_target_Sotomayor_Kagan_Wood.html

ugaalum May 1, 2009 at 1:55 pm

Affirmative Action (if only “unofficially” applied) alive and well.

It’s simply amazing that we as citizens accept without a fight the fact that anyone from a protected class immediately has a leg up in these situations. And that is why the Hispanic is the front runner – no other reason.

macho May 1, 2009 at 2:23 pm

UGA-

You’re right, 95% of the qualified candidates will be disqualified due to affirmative action. The goal is hispanic, female, which will take care of two categories.

Goldwater Conservative May 1, 2009 at 2:30 pm

The selection of SCOTUS justices is strictly political. No Macho and UGA Alum, they will not be disqualified because of ethicity or gender…politically, picking anybody but a woman or a hispanic may not be viable though.

Pete, and everybody else, there is no such thing as a strict interpretationist.

bluemcduff May 1, 2009 at 4:50 pm

You must be kidding me–her?!

I daresay making her the country’s problem rather than Georgia’s problem is not a good idea.

The last thing we need is a justice who insists on being vain, corrupt, and stupid in the pursuit of s0-called social “equality”–but we’re going to get one shoved down our throats anyway.

I hope the Republicans fight to the last senator but they’ll cave sooner or later.

Sigh.

slyram May 1, 2009 at 4:59 pm

A Hispanic female would be muy bueno, gracias.

c_murrayiii May 2, 2009 at 12:34 am

The Republicans will cave when the Senate leadership in the committee and on the floor decides to call Obama’s nominee for a vote, because there is nothing the Republican’s can do now that Specter switched.

Jane May 2, 2009 at 10:41 pm

Maybe Obama will find a Black Female transgender candidate? Anyone know if Ru Paul has a law Degree. In all seriousness Judge Sears would met the AA slot, better than a Hispanic women. Obama will have at least one maybe two more chances to appoint a Hispanic judge. The only way he might not appoint a Black Female would be if he appoints a Gay judge. Or he now have the votes to put either Clinton on the court.

Bill Greene May 4, 2009 at 2:52 pm

“As much as I hate it, Obama won and with that victory came probable liberal Supreme Court Justices. I didn’t agree with Obama, when he was a Senator, on his willingness to filibuster all of Bush’s nominees.”

macho, Obama would disagree with the idea that Senators should just “pass on through” any judicial nominee that a President sends for confirmation. And, if that nominee is deemed to be “out of the mainstream” of “average America,” Obama declared that such a nominee should be rejected.

On January 31, 2006, then-Senator Barack Obama sent out a detailed, in-depth podcast about President Bush’s nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. (You can hear it in full here.)

In this recording, Barack Obama made the following statements: “There are some who believe that the President, having won the election, should have complete authority to appoint his nominee, and that the Senate should only examine whether or not the judge is intellectually capable… I DISAGREE WITH THIS VIEW… meaningful advice and consent includes an examination of a judge’s philosophy, ideology and record.”

Maybe our Senators should do what their President says to do. Don’t they support our country? :)

Jason Shepherd May 26, 2009 at 11:33 pm

Let’s hope my prediction regarding Roy Barnes is more accurate than Pete’s on Leah Sears!

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