Judge in confirmation battle intrigues crowd

Judge Pickering spoke to the Shreveport Bar Association today.

ShreveportTimes: Judge in confirmation battle intrigues crowd

Shreveport Bar Association

The Shreveport Bar Association will be hosting Judge Charles Pickering and historian Douglas Brinkley for discussions and book signings in January and February.

Editorial: Southwick qualified

Mississippi's Clarion Ledger editorializes today that Judge Southwick is qualified to fill the position and the diversity criticism should not be "aimed at Southwick but Bush" and that "diversity on the bench is 'overdue.' But that's not the fault of Southwick, nor does it in any way reflect on his abilities or qualifications. Albeit insensitive of the administration not to promote diversity, the U.S. Senate should confirm the nomination."

Folks are commenting about Southwick over at MississippiPolitics.com

Mary Libby Payne served with Southwick on the Appeals Court and said in a letter-to-the-editor: "He has been an exemplary appellate court judge in Mississippi for 12 years. Judge Southwick has keen intellect, unequaled work ethic, articulate opinion-writing skills, impeccable character and proven loyalty to the nation by his military service in Iraq."

More on Southwick

No surprise, another highly qualified nominee with the experience, credentials, temperament, and intelligence to serve as a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge...and while most people praise him some still attack: "Bush selection for federal appeals court post under fire."

The opposition from Jaribu Hill, president of the Magnolia Bar Association, is not unexpected or really on the merits of Southwick. Hill and his organization opposed Pickering and Wallace as well. When they opposed now confirmed federal district judge Dan Jordan, Hill explained the basis of their opposition to the Clarion Ledger, "'a number of our members know him or have been in cases with him. We don't have any beef with him.' But despite the praise, Hill said the Magnolia Bar will oppose Jordan's nomination because the court needs more diversity. 'We have one African-American federal judge in a state that is almost 40 percent African American,' Hill said." In other words, they opposed him not because of his qualification; they opposed him because he was not African American.

In addition to nominating Southwick to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the White House also announced the renomination of Halil Suleyman Ozerden to the U.S. District Court in Mississippi. Ozerden's family emigrated from Turkey and is an American success story.

Biloxi Sun Herald: Bush nominates 2 in Mississippi for judgeships
Associated Press: Senators say Bush nominating Southwick for 5th Circuit

Southwick

Leslie Southwick has been chosen as President Bush's pick to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Bush's previous pick, Mike Wallace, asked that his name be withdrawn after Democrats continually blocked his nomination. If confirmed, Southwick will fill the seat vacated by Charles Pickering who retired at the end of his recess appointment after Democrats continued to filibuster his nomination.

Southwick is a former Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge who was nominated to sit on the U.S. District Court in Mississippi and had been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee but had not been approved by the full Senate before adjournment in December. Southwick has also served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps with the Army Reserves and recently returned from service in Iraq.

AP has the story.

Southwick's Miss Appeals Court bio.

"Thus Blogged Anderson" called Southwick "quite conservative" and "arguably the sharpest appellate judge on the state bench" and said in March of last year that he "ought to be a contender for the Fifth Circuit one day."

Who's Next?

With the withdrawal of Mike Wallace's nomination to fill the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals seat formerly held by Charles Pickering, those in the Mississippi judicial circles are wondering who's next?