Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the Senate Judiciary Committee continued its Supreme Court confirmation hearings March 22.
Booker asked Jackson about previous questions she had received from Republican senators suggesting her record of sentencing people convicted in child porn cases showed too much leniency.
Booker argued that judges are given discretion in sentencing, and that Jackson’s sentences were in line with those from other judges who had been appointed by both Republican and Democratic administrations.
“One of my favorite mayor friends used to always say in ‘God we trust, but everybody else bring me data.’ …. The data kind of shows that you’re not some outlier,” Booker said.
“I was a little insulted by the accusation that somehow, this mother of two, confirmed three times by the United States Senate, who has victim advocacy groups writing letters for you, who has child victims advocacy groups supporting you, who has presided over fact-specific cases of the most heinous crimes …. that you are somehow out of the norm of other federal judges that we have confirmed where these issues had never come up,” Booker said.
Jackson was nominated by President Joe Biden in February to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman on the high court. After opening statements from Jackson, her colleagues and the senators March 21, senators will spend two days questioning Jackson at length about her rulings and judicial philosophy. On the final day of the hearings March 24, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from friends and colleagues of Jackson about her temperament and approach to the law.
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