Jesse J Holland

March 04, 2009 | National Law Journal

The Supreme Court refused on Tuesday to ban refugees who are forced to persecute others from being granted asylum in the United States, sending back to immigration officials the case of an Eritrean guard who prevented prisoners from getting fresh air and made them stand in the hot sun. The 5th Circuit had held that it was irrelevant whether the persecution was voluntary, but lawyers for Daniel Girmai Negusie argued to the high court that persecution requires hostile intent.

By Jesse J. Holland

4 minute read

April 06, 2005 | Law.com

Congressional Democrats on Tuesday said Republican criticism of the federal courts following Terri Schiavo's death showed an "arrogancy of power" that is leading to a Senate confrontation over filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees. "If they don't get what they want, they attack whoever's around," said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Republicans said judges' rejection of efforts to keep Schiavo alive was a separate issue from the dispute over the filibuster.

By Jesse J. Holland

4 minute read

January 06, 2006 | National Law Journal

In the latest tactical battle over high court nominations, Senate Democrats plan to delay the Judiciary Committee's vote on Samuel Alito's nomination to the Court, slowing what could have been a quick confirmation process for President Bush's pick to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid told Majority Leader Bill Frist on Thursday that Democrats will invoke their right to hold the Alito committee vote over for one week, Senate leadership aides told The Associated Press.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

August 09, 2005 | National Law Journal

Supreme Court nominee John Roberts was told by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter on Monday that lawmakers are irate about the Court's "disrespectful statements about Congress' competence" and by its interference with congressional power. Specter advised Roberts in a letter that he would question the nominee on his thoughts about the Court's limiting of Congress' authority -- what Specter called "the hallmark agenda of the judicial activism of the Rehnquist Court."

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

July 27, 2005 | The Legal Intelligencer

Senate Republicans, determined to seat John Roberts in time for the U.S. Supreme Court's fall term, pressed Democrats yesterday to agree on a timetable for a vote amid political wrangling over how much of Roberts' past legal writings must be made available.

By Jesse J. Holland

6 minute read

February 22, 2005 | Law.com

President Bush on Friday signed a bill that he says will curtail multimillion-dollar class actions against companies and help end "the lawsuit culture in our country." The legislation aims to discourage class action suits by having federal judges take them away from state courts. Class actions seeking $5 million or more would be heard in state court only if the primary defendant and more than one-third of the plaintiffs are from the same state.

By Jesse J. Holland

4 minute read

July 21, 2005 | Law.com

The possibility of a Democratic filibuster against Supreme Court nominee John Roberts in the Senate seemed to all but disappear Wednesday. The Senate's Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, said he had not heard any senators in his party mention filibustering President Bush's pick. "Do I believe this is a filibuster-able nominee? The answer would be no, not at this time I don't," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a strong abortion-rights supporter and a Senate Judiciary Committee member.

By Jesse J. Holland

4 minute read

October 19, 2005 | National Law Journal

Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers pledged support in 1989 for a constitutional amendment banning abortions except when necessary to save the life of the mother, according to a questionnaire the White House submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. As a candidate for the Dallas city council, Miers also signaled support for the overall agenda of Texans United for Life -- agreeing she would support legislation restricting abortions if the Supreme Court ruled that states could ban abortions.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read

August 31, 2005 | National Law Journal

Senate Democrats said Tuesday's discovery of some unreleased documents from Supreme Court nominee John Roberts could make things tougher for him at his confirmation hearings next week. The National Archives announced a "large volume" of unreviewed and unreleased Roberts documents that had been filed under a code instead of Roberts' name. A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said "there could well be a need for additional time to question the nominee" in light of the new documents.

By Jesse J. Holland

2 minute read

September 06, 2005 | National Law Journal

For John Roberts, getting ready for this week's Senate hearings on his nomination to the Supreme Court was a lot like appearing as a lawyer before the high court: copious amounts of reading and rehearsing answers to any conceivable question that might be fired at him. Roberts' experience in 39 appearances before the Court will be key, said Supreme Court historian David Garrow. "He's likely to fly though this without anyone laying a fingernail on him," Garrow added.

By Jesse J. Holland

5 minute read