A thing not getting much attention is that Biden just put another public defender into a lifetime seat on a powerful U.S. appeals court. That makes 4.
Huge shift from the corporate attorneys + prosecutors typically picked for these powerful jobs. huffpost.com/entry/veronica…
Huge shift from the corporate attorneys + prosecutors typically picked for these powerful jobs. huffpost.com/entry/veronica…
Biden has made this detail a real priority in his early judicial picks.
For some context: there are currently only 8 active judges within the entire U.S. appeals court system with experience as public defenders.
4 are from Biden.
For some context: there are currently only 8 active judges within the entire U.S. appeals court system with experience as public defenders.
4 are from Biden.
Little more context on how underrepresented public defenders are on our courts:
There are currently 174 active judges on U.S. appeals courts.
8 have backgrounds as public defenders.
That's 4.6% having experience representing people in court who couldn’t afford an attorney.
There are currently 174 active judges on U.S. appeals courts.
8 have backgrounds as public defenders.
That's 4.6% having experience representing people in court who couldn’t afford an attorney.
So what?
When the vast majority of people picked for lifetime seats on U.S. courts are corporate attorneys or prosecutors, they don't bring much diversity of experience to the cases they judge.
Like understanding the perspectives of people too poor to afford a lawyer in court.
When the vast majority of people picked for lifetime seats on U.S. courts are corporate attorneys or prosecutors, they don't bring much diversity of experience to the cases they judge.
Like understanding the perspectives of people too poor to afford a lawyer in court.
Biden's latest confirmed U.S. appeals court judge, Veronica Rossman, spent most of her career as a public defender.
She represented more than 250 indigent clients in her 10+ years at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Districts of Colorado and Wyoming.
She represented more than 250 indigent clients in her 10+ years at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Districts of Colorado and Wyoming.
The Senate confirmed Rossman last night.
Every Democrat present voted to confirm her. Only two Republicans did: Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. huffpost.com/entry/veronica…
Every Democrat present voted to confirm her. Only two Republicans did: Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. huffpost.com/entry/veronica…
Biden is actually walking the walk when it comes to nominating/confirming diverse people to be federal judges (with the Senate's help).
He's also moving very fast.
In 8 months, he's already doubled the number of U.S. appeals court judges who used to be public defenders.
He's also moving very fast.
In 8 months, he's already doubled the number of U.S. appeals court judges who used to be public defenders.
He is continuing his record of confirming lifetime federal judges faster than any president in the last 50 years by this point in their terms. huffpost.com/entry/joe-bide…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
