Oregonians Would Not Support Southwick. Why Does Smith?
Unlike Ron Wyden, Gordon Smith voted today for extremist judicial nominee Leslie Southwick.
Here is the kind of judge Smith thinks represents Oregon values:
“As a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals for over ten years, Judge Southwick amassed a record that favored business and insurance interests, at the expense of workers, consumers and other victims. In fact, he voted for those interests 89 percent of the time in 180 published split-decision torts and state employment law cases. Moreover, his decisions involving racism in the workplace, the qualifications of gays and lesbians to be parents, women’s property rights following the dissolution of a marriage or relationship, and allegations of racial bias in jury selection, raise questions about his commitment to equal dignity and equal justice. This report addresses specific cases which raise concerns about Judge Southwick’s suitability for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench."
(Alliance for Justice Report)
Does someone with a track record of suppressing gay rights, suppressing women's rights and favoring corporations over workers represent your values?
Would you feel comfortable appearing before Judge Southwick and having him decide your legal fate?
Especially if you knew his track record?
Consider this information from Working Assets’ website:
"• In another case, he agreed that an eight-year-old girl could be taken away from her birth mother, in large part because the mother was living with another woman in a 'lesbian home.' He also joined in the opinion that sexual orientation is a 'choice,' and that one legally acceptable consequence of that 'choice' is losing one's child.
• In a third case, he argued that a worker made sick by on-the-job exposure to toxic chemicals could not sue her employer because the three-year statute of limitations had run out...even though the worker had not learned that her illness was job-related until ten years after the onset of her symptoms.
• When pressed by Senator Durbin during recent hearings to name just one example of an unpopular decision he made in favor of the powerless, the poor, minorities or the dispossessed, Judge Southwick responded, "no.'"
Gordon Smith is elected to serve the interests of Oregonians. How can he claim those judicial decisions represent Oregon values?
Posted October 24, 2007 Civil Rights 1 comments
Comments
The first thing I would do is stay away from Southwick's jurisdiction. Of course, I wasn't planning an extended vacation there anyway.
I would like to say that Southwick doesn't represent Oregon's values, but I've lived in this state far to long to delude myself into thinking there aren't rather a large number of Oregonians who would get along quite well with the guy - some of them on the bench. I've seen more than a few decisions handed down that appear to serve the interests of Big Business and Big Insurance. In fact, if you look at our insurance statutes, a lot of the bias is built into the system, and "out of the judges hands", almost.
Nonetheless, your point is well taken. Gordon Smith would be a lot easier to take potshots at if he wasn't so dang quiet about everything he does.
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