Jerry Brown approves Schwarzenegger's 'not qualified,' anti-gay judicial nominee

Source: Fresno Bee

SAN FRANCISCO -- A judicial commission on Thursday confirmed Chuck Poochigian as a state appeals court justice in Fresno, despite an unfavorable ranking by a state bar panel.

The 3-0 vote by the Commission on Judicial Appointments came after state Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George criticized the state bar ranking, which had found Poochigian "not qualified" because of a lack of legal experience.

... The third vote came from Attorney General Jerry Brown, a Democrat who beat Poochigian in the 2006 attorney general's race. Brown, a former governor, said he deferred to the judgment of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who nominated Poochigian for the job in August.

... The only witness speaking against Poochigian was Geoffrey Kors, executive director of Equality California, a gay-rights group. Kors criticized Poochigian's voting record, which included a 1999 vote against a bill passed into law that prohibits housing and employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

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