Majority of D.A.s in state oppose Obama nominee

[usregimechange]

Goodwin Liu, Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit


Forty-two of California's 58 county district attorneys are opposing President Obama's nomination of Goodwin Liu to the federal appeals court in San Francisco, saying they believe the UC Berkeley law professor is hostile to the death penalty.

In a letter to leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the prosecutors attacked a paper Liu coauthored in 2005 that criticized death penalty decisions by Samuel Alito, then President George W. Bush's nominee for the Supreme Court.

The paper did not state its authors' views of the death penalty, but said Alito's opinions "show a disturbing tendency to tolerate serious errors in capital proceedings." ...

In response, the White House released a letter from the state's prison guards union, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, saying Liu would "further the cause of justice and follow the law and Constitution for all parties ... including crime victims and peace officers."

The dueling messages continued a partisan battle for public opinion over Liu's nomination to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The 39-year-old professor has drawn rave reviews from academic colleagues and the American Bar Association. But conservatives have branded him a liberal activist and criticized his support for affirmative action, same-sex marriage and the view that constitutional rights evolve over time.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/29/BA8U1CN27K.DTL#ixzz0jhtPiuiF



Previous posts

Progressives to rejoice, Obama nominates Goodwin Liu (Thu Feb-25-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7789498

Editorial: Liu is more than qualified to serve on appeals court (Mon Mar-01-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7816130

Fox News composes a hit piece on Obama nominee Goodwin Liu (Fri Mar-05-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7846137

Oakland Tribune: Obama judicial nominee already a target (Sat Mar-06-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7854860

9th Circuit candidate's career marked by rapid ascent, wide-ranging roles (Goodwin Liu) (Wed Mar-10-10)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-goodwin-liu9-2010mar09,0,1301596.story

AP: Young appeals court nominee raises liberal hopes (Sun Mar-14-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7912313

Testimony of Professor Goodwin Liu on the Nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. January 10, 2006 (Tue Mar-16-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7925476&mesg_id=7925476

San Francisco Chronicle: Obama nominee Goodwin Liu an unassuming man (Tue Mar-16-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7929953

Senate Judiciary Committee schedules Goodwin Liu nomination hearing (Tue Mar-16-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7930102

WP: Law professor Goodwin Liu may be test case for Obama judicial picks (Mon Mar-22-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7985276

ABC: SCOTUS Battle Quietly Brews, Contentious Hearing for Lower Court Nominee to Foreshadow (Mon Mar-22-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7985782

Ring-wing response to video threatens Obama judicial nominee (Mon Mar-22-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7986200

Websites form to support the nomination of Goodwin Liu (Tue Mar-23-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7992722

LAT: Controversy Over Obama Judge, GOP "preparing to mount an assault" (Tue Mar-23-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8000730

Senate Judiciary postpones the Goodwin Liu hearing "due to Republican objection" (Wed Mar-24-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8010610

Senator Patrick Leahy Press Release: Republican Objections Now Stall Even Committee Progress (Thu Mar-25-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8012621

Thomas Goldstein: A Hearing to Define "Mainstream" Judicial Views (Thu Mar-25-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8012997

Goodwin Liu Hearing Rescheduled for April 16 (Sat Mar-27-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8028717

NYT: An Exceptional Nominee (Sun Mar-28-10)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x526591

[marybourg]

1. If they're agin' him, I'm for him. nt.

[Warpy]

11. Hostile to the death penalty?

ME TOO.

I was shocked when New Mexico abolished it last year. I am thrilled to be living in a civilized state that doesn't murder its citizens.

Hostility to the death penalty is a good thing, boys. It saves the state money, for one thing. It keeps you from being a bunch of barbarians, for another.

[usregimechange]

16. saves money, is moral, doesn't effect crime = +2

[marybourg]

20. Yes! Almost enuf to make me want to move back to NM. Then I

see this and remember why I left:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x515250

:hi:

[marmar]

2. If he's hostile to the death penalty, I'm an even bigger supporter of his.....

Enchante Mr. Liu !!!! :toast:

[hedgehog]

4. +1

[katandmoon]

6. +2

[scarletwoman]

13. +3

[annabanana]

22. +4

[City Lights]

24. +5!

:toast:

[JuniperLea]

3. Academia has a liberal slant...

Whodathunk?

[usregimechange]

5. Because the truth has a liberal slant

[ProSense]

7. This is plain kooky:

The paper did not state its authors' views of the death penalty, but said Alito's opinions "show a disturbing tendency to tolerate serious errors in capital proceedings." The district attorneys said Liu's critique shows he would vote as a judge to overturn nearly every death sentence.

[usregimechange]

9. Basically they lack evidence for a less general conclusion than they formulated

[SoCalDem]

8. as rarely as it's used here, the death penalty is barely "in effect" anyway

A death sentence ends up costing bazillions because of the mandatory appeals-process , and life with no parole seems to be a better way to go..

Fear of the death penalty does not even seem to "work" as a determent to violent crime ..

[Warpy]

12. It was used once in NM since 1961

there wasn't that much to abolish, so they did it.

[usregimechange]

15. God forbid we work to be smart on crime

an excellent way to get Republicans mad at you though.

[uberblonde]

10. I like this guy.

Here's hoping Obama backs him up.

[usregimechange]

14. Well, they did today

[laughingliberal]

17. Just, fuck them. Everything's gotta be a damned circus.

Bush appointed a judge with ties to the Klan. They can bite me.

[Unvanguard]

18. Good. May he be confirmed swiftly. n/t

[pnorman]

19. K & R, mainly to enable me to keep a closer eye on the valuable links on this thread!

n/t

[demosincebirth]

21. Well, its not up to them, is it?

[Flaneur]

23. Well, if the DAs don't like him, he can't be all bad...