|
The Senate fight over President Bush's judicial nominees isn't just about their opinions -- it is also about their destinations. The contentious choices would tip the balance in some evenly split appellate courts, or could challenge the prevailing views of other panels on issues such as civil rights or environmental policy....
Democrats say the seven blocked Bush nominees could start a conservative shift in courts that aren't already tilted that way. "Balance on the court matters to us," said Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. "I've always felt a good court would have one Scalia and one Brennan and not five of either," he added, referring to both a conservative and liberal Supreme Court justice.
There are 13 circuit courts of appeals across the country, each with varying numbers of members, including courts for the District of Columbia Circuit and the Federal Circuit. They operate just below the U.S. Supreme Court and are the final arbiters of many cases, because the high court agrees to hear only a tiny percentage of the cases appealed to it.
The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals is considered the most-important appellate court and one that has jurisdiction over much of the federal government, including environmental and labor laws. Republicans blocked two Clinton appointees to the court during the 1990s. When President Bush took office, the court had four Democratic-appointed judges, four Republican-appointed ones and four vacancies. One vacancy already has been filled by a Bush appointee.
online.wsj.com/search
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(649 posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
