May, 27 2009, 06:59pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Paige Cram, NLG Communications Coordinator, 212-679-5100,
ext. 15, communications@nlg.org
National Lawyers Guild Calls for Reasoned Analysis of Sotomayor Nomination
NEW YORK
In the wake of President Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia
Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court, the National Lawyers
Guild (NLG) encourages a reasoned analysis of Sotomayor's candidacy.
Critics are focusing on accusations of judicial activism and identity
politics rather than engaging in sound examination of her legal
qualifications. Comments of this nature serve only to distract from
meaningful discussion surrounding the judicial confirmation process.
"When Judge Sotomayor was nominated, conservative pundits immediately
leveled allegations of judicial activism against her. That charge is
not only hypocritical, but is also disingenuous. Bush v. Gore,
supported by these same commentators in 2000, is the most vivid
example of judicial activism ever displayed by the highest court,"
said Marjorie Cohn, President of the National Lawyers Guild.
Critics have increasingly questioned the role that Sotomayor's race
and gender played in her nomination. Changing the discourse from one
of judicial qualifications to one of identity politics detracts from a
proper evaluation of her suitability for the job.
The Guild encourages an analysis that focuses on Sotomayor's
credentials and ability to interpret the Constitution of the United
States. These are the criteria by which any judicial nominee should be
evaluated.
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) works to promote human rights and the rights of ecosystems over property interests. It was founded in 1937 as the first national, racially-integrated bar association in the U.S.
(212) 679-5100LATEST NEWS
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Apr 25, 2024
After months of delay, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday will hear oral arguments in a closely watched case on whether former President Donald Trump should be immune from criminal charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss—an argument that legal experts say is both absurd and dangerous.
Listen live to the oral arguments, which are set to begin at 10:00 am ET:
Thursday's proceedings mark the high court's final argument of its current term, and pro-democracy campaigners are calling on the justices to quickly reject the former president's sweeping immunity claim so he can face trial on federal election subversion charges before his November rematch with President Joe Biden.
As Bloomberg's Greg Stohr noted earlier this week, Thursday's oral arguments give "Special Counsel Jack Smith only a narrow window to put the former president in front of a Washington jury before voters go to the polls on November 5."
"With the trial on hold until the high court rules," Stohr added, "Smith needs a clear-cut victory, and he needs it quickly."
Sean Eldridge, founder and president of the progressive advocacy group Stand Up America, said in a statement Thursday that "the Supreme Court's right-wing majority has already handed Trump a temporary victory by stalling this case for months, allowing him to delay accountability for his criminal attempts to cling to power."
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A grand jury in Arizona on Wednesday charged seven aides to Donald Trump and nearly a dozen Republican officials over a "fake electors" scheme in the state that aimed to keep the former president in power after his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden.
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The names of other individuals indicted by the state grand jury are redacted, but the document's descriptions make clear that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and top Trump legal strategist Boris Epshteyn are among those facing felony charges—including fraud, forgery, and conspiracy.
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"It effectively would have made their right to vote meaningless," said Mayes.
A state grand jury, made up of everyday, regular Arizonans, has handed down felony indictments in the ongoing investigation into the fake elector scheme in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/Nu8GcD4ZqJ
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Alex Gulotta, state director of All Voting Is Local Action Arizona, said Wednesday that "the indictment of the eleven fake electors is one of the first steps required in holding these election deniers accountable for their alleged attempts to take power away from voters by disrupting our free and fair elections."
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The Arizona Republicreported Wednesday that "several of the Arizona electors have previously claimed they were merely offering Congress a backup plan, though nothing in the documents they sent to Congress and the National Archives backs up that assertion."
"The indictment includes several statements the false electors made on social media that contradict those claims," the newspaper observed.
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A campaign finance watchdog on Wednesday filed a Federal Election Commission complaint accusing former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, affiliated political groups, and an accounting firm of violating U.S. law in a scheme "seemingly designed to obscure the true recipients of a noteworthy portion of Trump's legal bills."
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Correction: This article originally said Trump faces 91 federal and state felony charges. The correct number is 88.
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