Jesse J Holland

July 10, 2009 | Daily Report Online

WASHINGTON AP - Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has endured weeks of insults, obnoxious questions and unwelcome drilling into her work as a judge and a lawyer - and it was all on purpose, essentially a dress rehearsal for her confirmation hearings.In a series of faux hearings, Sotomayor has been barraged by hostile questions thrown her way by allies preparing the federal appeals judge for the interrogation that will begin Monday.

By JESSE J. HOLLAND

5 minute read

September 07, 2005 | Law.com

President Bush said Tuesday that the list of possibilities for his second Supreme Court nomination was "wide open." Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Bush should choose a woman. "Two women, I think, are a minimum" for the high court, according to Specter. Bush noted that Sandra Day O'Connor has agreed to stay on until her successor is in place, ensuring there will be a nine-member Court if John Roberts is confirmed before the new term begins Oct. 3.

By Jesse J. Holland

3 minute read

January 05, 2005 | The Legal Intelligencer

Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales' confirmation hearing this week may become more contentious because the White House has refused to provide copies of his memos on the questioning of terror suspects.

By Jesse J. Holland

4 minute read

May 12, 2005 | The Legal Intelligencer

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid accused President Bush on Tuesday of trying to steamroll the Senate in preparation for a Supreme Court vacancy. The Senate's top Republican said a filibuster showdown over judicial nominations could come as early as next week.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

January 31, 2006 | National Law Journal

The Senate on Monday all but guaranteed Samuel Alito's confirmation to the Supreme Court, shutting down liberals' last-minute attempt to block the conservative judge with a filibuster. On a 72-25 vote, Republican and Democratic senators agreed to end their debate, setting up a vote this morning on Alito's confirmation to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. With at least 57 votes committed to Alito, approval by majority vote in the 100-member Senate is seemingly assured.

By Jesse J. Holland

3 minute read

July 14, 2005 | Law.com

President Bush said Wednesday that he would consider nominating a woman or someone with no experience as a judge to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. More Supreme Court justices have been picked from outside the federal judiciary than from the ranks of the courts since 1900. And the current justices have indicated that they would welcome "somebody from outside the judicial monastery," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

May 19, 2004 | The Legal Intelligencer

Breaking a months-long impasse, the White House and Senate Democrats yesterday struck a deal allowing Senate confirmation of dozens of President Bush's judicial nominations in exchange for a presidential promise not to bypass the Senate again this year.

By Jesse J. Holland

3 minute read

January 23, 2006 | National Law Journal

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito Jr. told senators Friday that he sees protection in the Constitution for privacy, but he refused anew to divulge his thoughts on the Court's landmark abortion rights decisions. The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on his nomination on Tuesday, with the full Senate starting final debate the next day. Several Democrats say they don't expect a filibuster, but they are lining up to vote against the conservative judge.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

January 23, 2006 | Law.com

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito Jr. told senators Friday that he sees protection in the Constitution for privacy, but he refused anew to divulge his thoughts on the Court's landmark abortion rights decisions. The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on his nomination on Tuesday, with the full Senate starting final debate the next day. Several Democrats say they don't expect a filibuster, but they are lining up to vote against the conservative judge.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

November 11, 2005 | National Law Journal

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito said Thursday he was "unduly restrictive" in promising in 1990 to avoid appeals cases involving two investment firms and said he has not made any rulings in which he had a "legal or ethical obligation" to step aside. Alito issued a letter to Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, after all eight Democrats on the committee called for records involving a 2002 case in which Vanguard was a defendant, raising possible conflict of interest concerns.

By Jesse J. Holland

4 minute read