Jesse J Holland

July 14, 2005 | National Law Journal

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 20, 2005 | The Legal Intelligencer

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said yesterday that President Bush and Republican senators are trying to rewrite the Constitution and reinvent reality in their push to confirm controversial judicial nominees.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

August 24, 2005 | National Law Journal

Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter plans to use the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts to criticize what he calls the high court's judicial activism, saying Tuesday that justices have started acting as a "super legislature" that usurps congressional authority. Women's groups say Roberts should also face questions on their issues at his confirmation hearing. Several groups scheduled briefings this week to highlight areas in Roberts' record they say are particularly troubling to women.

By Jesse J. Holland

3 minute read

November 16, 2005 | National Law Journal

The Samuel Alito who argued against abortion rights in 1985 was "an advocate seeking a job" within the conservative Reagan administration, the Alito who is now a Supreme Court nominee told Democrats on Tuesday. The current version "thinks he's a wiser person" with "a better grasp and understanding about constitutional rights and liberties," senators said as Alito tried to downplay a 20-year-old document in which he asserted "the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion."

By Jesse J. Holland

4 minute read

June 07, 2005 | Law.com

The Senate will soon try to confirm as many as four of President Bush's federal appeals court nominations, including California Judge Janice Rogers Brown and former Alabama Attorney General William Pryor. According to agreements announced Monday, senators will also move forward on the nominations of Richard Griffin and David McKeague. If the Senate confirms the nominees, it will have taken care of almost all the judges involved in the agreement that averted a showdown over filibusters.

By Jesse J. Holland

3 minute read

August 24, 2005 | Law.com

Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter plans to use the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts to criticize what he calls the high court's judicial activism, saying Tuesday that justices have started acting as a "super legislature" that usurps congressional authority. Women's groups say Roberts should also face questions on their issues at his confirmation hearing. Several groups scheduled briefings this week to highlight areas in Roberts' record they say are particularly troubling to women.

By Jesse J. Holland

3 minute read

January 04, 2005 | Law.com

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. Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, is among those planning to question Gonzales on his involvement in the crafting of policies concerning questioning -- policies that the Justice Department has backed away from.

By Jesse J. Holland

4 minute read

October 24, 2005 | Law.com

Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers will continue meeting with senators, the White House said Friday, despite calls from some conservatives who said the courtesy visits aren't helping and she should focus instead on preparing for her confirmation hearing scheduled for Nov. 7. Miers has faced attacks from both sides of the political spectrum, most notably from the president's conservative allies, though none of the Senate's majority Republicans has come out against her.

By Jesse J. Holland

3 minute read

June 10, 2005 | Law.com

In addition to approving former Alabama Attorney General William Pryor for a federal appeals court seat Thursday, the GOP-controlled Senate approved Michigan nominees David McKeague and Richard Griffin for 6th Circuit seats, completing an unprecedented run of long-delayed judicial confirmations. Several nomination deadlocks ended under last month's historic deal on judicial filibusters. Crafted by Senate centrists, it avoided a partisan showdown over blocking White House nominees.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

February 11, 2005 | Law.com

By a vote of 72-26, the Senate approved a measure Thursday that will keep large, multistate class action lawsuits out of the hands of state courts and instead put those cases before federal judges, who have not proven as open to that type of suit. The bill's supporters say it's needed because greedy lawyers have taken advantage of the state system by filing frivolous lawsuits. Opponents say the bill's supporters are trying to help businesses escape proper judgments for their wrongdoing.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read