Thread by @girlsreallyrule

Here is the opening statement from Judge Jackson yesterday as we begin today's longer session, which will be question and answer. Follow this thread for live tweets of Tuesday's hearing. 1/

Full opening here:

Here is the full text of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's opening statement from yesterday (3/21/22), on the first day of her confirmation hearing for the US Supreme Court. 2/

Durbin right out of the gate wants to address the ongoing "issues" surrounding her "judicial philosophy"-says no one questions her credentials or education - he reminds the committee that she has over 500 written opinions and thousands of pages of published text. 3/

Jackson lays out her three step process:

1. She proceeds "from a position of neutrality" and clears personal views.

2. Makes sure to have all of the input from all proper parties and full record

3. interpretation/application of the law w/ restraint to judicial authority
4/

Jackson makes a point to use the term "judicial restraint" in the beginning, which will appeal to textualists, but then explains that history, context and purpose are important so as not to impose her personal views. She is navigating a more open interpretation BRILLIANTLY. 5/

Durbin: "There's exactly one living senator who effectively changed the size of the Supreme Court, that was the Rep. Leader Senator McConnell, who shrank the Court to eight seats for nearly a year in 2016 when he blocked President Obama's nomination, Merrick Garland. 🔥6/

Watch this FANTASTIC explanation by Judge Jackson of her process when undertaking a new case and how she endeavors to determine the statutory meaning of the law. 7/

When asked about court-packing, Judge Jackson says she agrees with Justice Barrett: “My north star is the consideration of the proper role of a judge in our constitutional scheme and, in my view, judges should not be speaking to political issues.” 8/

MUST WATCH: Judge Jackson responds to Hawley's accusations at her confirmation hearing: “As a mother and a judge who has had to deal with these cases, I was thinking that nothing could be further from the truth.” 9/

Jackson on what she tells every child porn defendant: "there is someone...[who] can not leave her house because she thinks...everyone will have seen her...on the internet...at the most vulnerable time of her life." 10/

Durbin to Judge Jackson in response to Sen. Hawley's accusations that she is soft on child predators: "The notion that you look on [child abuses cases] casually, or with leniency, your record implies [the opposite]." 11/

Jackson goes on to explain that the sentencing guidelines are in the process of being adjusted to account for the internet and the easy access to child pornography and the sentence she gave at the time was appropriate based on the law, which is now evolving. 12/

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on defending Guantanamo Bay detainees: "After 9/11...we couldn't let the terrorists win by changing who we were fundamentally...that's what makes our system the best in the world, that's what makes us exemplary." 13/

Sen. Grassley asks some very basic questions about #1A and #2A and Jackson reiterates that SCOTUS has established the right to bear arms is a fundamental right. She then has to explain what that determination process means. 14/

Grassley asks about cameras in the SCOTUS courtroom, Jackson says: "I would want to discuss with the other justices their views and understand all of the various potential issues related to cameras in the courtroom before I took a position on it."

15/

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is even more impressive in person than she is on paper. I don't say that lightly, either. 16/

Jackson explains to Leahy that she makes a point to intensively explain the judicial process to defendants as a judge, because her experience as a defense attorney gave her more insight into the experience for the defendant. This is exactly why we need her on the court. 17/

Sidebar: I felt like Grassley was putty in Judge Jackson's hand and the lack of hostility, so far, is encouraging. The GOP asshats who come in later and do something outrageous are only trying to get a viral moment for themselves, so don't give it to them. 18/

Judge Jackson explains why her experience as a public defender made her a better judge: "You understand the way the system works. And as a defense counselor, you have interacted with defendants in a way that as a judge...I thought was very beneficial." 19/

Lindsey Graham is a mess. 20/

Lindsey Graham is a mess, part 2. 21/

In the event that our alien overlords need an example in the future of what "a grown-assed man throwing a temper tantrum to get everyone's attention and for no other good reason" looks like, I present Lindsey Graham. 22/

Durbin follows up on Cornyn's false statement: "To be clear, there was no time where you called President Bush or Secretary Rumsfeld a 'war criminal'."

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: "Correct, Senator. Thank you, that was correct." 23/

"Do you agree with this book that is being taught with kids that babies are racist?" Ted Cruz is now pandering to people that have lost their minds. 24/

Cruz moves on from Critical Race Theory at Georgetown Private Day school and then attacks Judge Jackson for being too lenient on sex abuse criminals. Then he yells at her and won't let her answer. 25/

Jackson just corrected Cruz on his assessment of her law review article. Cruz just continues to inappropriately down a diet coke while he burp-talks through his statements. 26/

Ted Cruz is so jealous of Judge Jackson right now that it's painful to watch. 27/

.@tedcruz is every average schmo in law school that raises his voice and becomes rude in order to appear like he knows more than he does, or even something at all. There is no question that Judge Jackson could run mental circles around him and it's obvious. 28/

This was Ted Cruz's question to Judge Jackson after he held up visual aids of a children's book, I swear to God: "Do you agree with this book that is being taught with kids that babies are racist?"

Watch her response: 29/

So @CNN just cut away from coverage of the first black woman being appointed to the Supreme Court to legal analysis by Jeffrey Toobin. 30/