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Bush Judicial Nominee: Private Prison Executive With Little Court Experience | 10 comments (10 topical)

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to be fair (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by Deconstructionist on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 03:07:56 PM EST

  I never heard of the guy and will express no specific opinion on his suitability for the bench, but I will state that trial experience while a positive is not and should not be a requirement for a judge. Many good judges have had very little prior experience as courtroom lawyers and many judges with extensive courtroom experience have been terrible judges. The bench is not and should not be reserved only for lawyers whose practice involves extensive litigation.

  Impressionistically, I'd be far more concerned about his youth -- and thus lack of experience period, partisanship and concerns about impartiality than the fact he doesn't try cases for a living.

  Here's his resume

Birth: 1968 Atlanta, Georgia  
Legal Residence:   Tennessee

Education:1986-1990 Emory University B.A. degree

1990 - 1993 University of North Carolina School of Law J.D. degree

Bar: 1993 Tennessee

Experience: 1993 - 1994 Law Clerk to the Honorable Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale
    United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

  1994 - 1997 Farris, Warfield & Kanaday
    Associate Attorney

  1997 - 1998 United States Senate
    United States Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs

    Counsel, Special Investigation

  1998 - 2000 United States Senate
    Office of United States Senator Bill Frist
    Legislative Director

  2001 - present Corrections Corporation of America
    Executive Vice President, General Counsel


pfui. (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by nolo on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 03:36:19 PM EST
A trial court judge should know something about trying cases.  It's important.

[ Parent ]
to be fair.... (none / 0) (#7)
by A DC Wonk on Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 03:43:54 PM EST
... check out the Mother Jones article cited up top.  There not a lot of specific, but a lot of hints (helped prep Cheney for debates, staffed for Fred Thompson while investigating Clinton stuff, etc.)  Perhaps that's standard for any GOPer his age, I dunno.

Member of a country club that might be racist and sexist?  

And, he also gave a misleading (perhaps deliberate) answer to the Senate committee.

Too long to elaborate on it here -- check out the article here.

[ Parent ]

Bush Judicial Nominee: Private Prison Executive With Little Court Experience | 10 comments (10 topical)

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