Denver Post believes our next Chief Justice

[serryjw]

Not great news.....He's on the 10th circuit here in Denver and PFAW not happy when he was confirmed to the Federal Bench
http://saveourcourts.civilrights.org/nominees/nominees/mcconnell.html

[shoelace414]

1. Bush will only appoint a minorty

but I guess if he is christian.. they can use that

[Ruffhowse]

2. Wow, an absolute bigot, pure and simple. Just what we need on the courts.

[imenja]

3. He was also discussed on This Week with George Steph

as a likely appointee.

[funflower]

4. Are you talking about Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

Isn't it typical to move up a sitting Justice? Are you talking about Chief of the 10th Circuit or an appointment to the Supreme Court?

[TaleWgnDg]

5. Here's the press release from the National Women's Law Center . . .

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Here's a press release dated September 25, 2002 authored by the National Women's Law Center . . . this is when (then) Professor Michael McConnell of University of Utah Law School was in the nominee Senate "advice and consent" process before the Senate. Despite many protestations against Professor McConnell, he was appointed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals bench where he presently remains:

"Press Release - NWLC
National Women's Law Center Opposes McConnell Nomination, Urges Senate to Reject Nominee

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, September 25, 2002

"Washington, DC – The National Women’s Law Center today announced its opposition to the nomination of Michael McConnell to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. NWLC urges the U.S. Senate to reject the nomination of McConnell based on his record of hostility to fundamental constitutional and civil rights for women.

"McConnell is currently a professor at the University of Utah law school. After carefully reviewing McConnell’s numerous published articles and statements, NWLC found the nominee to have specifically rejected the validity of Roe v. Wade, and even questioned the right to privacy, core principles of sex discrimination and harassment law, and other fundamental constitutional and civil rights of particular importance to women.

" 'On core legal issues of central importance to women, Michael McConnell’s record is stark,' said Marcia D. Greenberger, NWLC Co-President, who has testified before Congress on the standards for selecting judges. 'He has the worst record on reproductive rights of any Bush Administration judicial nominee to come before the Senate so far.'

"McConnell has argued that Roe was wrongly decided, and questioned even whether a right to privacy exists at all because it is 'no where mentioned in the constitution.' McConnell has also argued for a constitutional amendment that would extend a 'right to life' to embryos and fetuses, and has supported severe restrictions on abortion under existing law. In addition, McConnell has criticized the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE), even going so far as to praise a lower court judge who refused to apply FACE because of his sympathy with anti-abortion protesters.

"At McConnell’s September hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he failed to retract any of his writings attacking Roe, supporting restrictions on abortion, or urging constitutional protection for fetal rights. And while he testified that Roe is now “settled” law, and that as a judge he would follow the law, these assurances made during the confirmation process do not put to rest the concern that women’s reproductive rights would be placed at serious risk in cases to come before him. Judges on the courts of appeal often have a great deal of latitude in how they apply and interpret the broad principles established in Supreme Court precedents. Given McConnell’s extensive and explicit written record of opposition to a woman’s right to choose, NWLC concludes that as a judge he could not be counted upon to uphold and enforce that right or to apply the law impartially in this area.

"McConnell is also highly critical of important precedents in the area of sex discrimination. For example, he has criticized recent Supreme Court decisions that advanced the law of sexual harassment by ruling employers can be held automatically liable for the acts of supervisors under certain circumstances. 'McConnell’s views on sexual harassment cases indicate he does not fully appreciate the real and serious harms caused by sexual harassment, and that he values preventing additional litigation more than compensating women for harms caused by sex discrimination in the workplace,' said Greenberger.

"NWLC also cited concern for McConnell’s position favoring absolute religious or associational freedom over the other fundamental constitutional protections. For example, McConnell’s criticism of the Supreme Court decision in Bob Jones University v. United States, which held that the IRS may deny tax-exempt status to a religious school with racially discriminatory policies, suggests that, if confirmed, he would permit government funding for racist or misogynist religious organizations – regardless of how extreme those organizations’ views and policies might be."

. . . more at . . . http://saveourcourts.civilrights.org/tools/printer_friendly.cfm?id=10224&print=true

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Most of the above from the National Women's Law Center on September 25, 2002 is regarding women's legal issues with only a smattering of other legal issues. On top of that, McConnell now has a judicial record of his court opinions that may make a solid foundation for research purposes into his legal writings since his commission to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on November 26, 2002, to the present.

_________________________________________________________


Here's bio information about Judge McConnell from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals "official" website:

"Judge Michael W. McConnell
Born 1955 in Louisville, KY

"Federal Judicial Service:
U. S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Nominated by George W. Bush on September 4, 2001, to a seat vacated by Stephen H. Anderson;
Confirmed by the Senate on November 15, 2002, and received commission on November 26, 2002.

"Education:
Michigan State University, B.A., 1976
University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 1979

"Professional Career:
Law clerk, Hon. J. Skelly Wright, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1979-1980
Law clerk, Associate Justice William J. Brennan, Supreme Court of the United States, 1980-1981
Assistant general counsel, Office of Management and Budget, 1981-1983
Assistant to the solicitor general, U.S. Department of Justice, 1983-1985
Professor, University of Chicago Law School, 1985-1996
Professor, University of Utah College of Law, 1997-2002"

. . . more at . . . http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/judges.cfm?part=2&ID=18

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