New Slate of Judicial Nominees Deserves “High Level of Scrutiny”

Washington, D.C., June 7, 2017 –  In response to the announcement today that President Trump has nominated 11 more individuals for federal court seats, including three nominees for appellate courts, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron issued the following statement:

“President Trump’s judicial nominees thus far have had troubling records that raise serious concerns about their ability to act independently from the executive branch and to dispense equal justice to all, as well as whether they possess the requisite judicial temperament.  Like Trump’s previous nominees, these nominees have the burden to show that they are qualified for lifetime appointments to the federal bench, especially since this White House continues to rely on ultraconservative special interest groups for its pool of judicial picks.  We know that one of today’s nominees, Allison Eid, was on Trump’s original list of potential Supreme Court nominees who were hand-picked by the Federalist Society, and therefore passed their litmus test regarding abortion rights and opposition to gun safety. Another nominee, Stephanos Bibas, has a history of troubling statements on criminal justice issues. We believe all of today’s nominees must be subjected to a high level of scrutiny to ensure their commitment to protecting the rights and freedoms accorded to all of us by our Constitution.”