I just received this email....thought I'd post it for you all...
This is to inform you that the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Charles Pickering to the 5th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals TODAY at 2:00 p.m. in room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building located on Constitution Avenue, NE between First and Second Streets, NE.
The nomination is opposed by leading civil rights organizations including the NAACP (naacp.org) and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (civilrights.org.) See press releases below.
From
http://www.civilrights.org
Leaders From Mississippi, Louisiana And Texas Ready To Comment On Pickering Confirmation
For Immediate Release: March 6, 2002
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the nation's oldest and broadest civil rights coalition, opposes the nomination of Southern District of Mississippi Judge Charles Pickering to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Pickering's record as a district court judge and as a state senator shows his hostility to civil and constitutional rights. Throughout Pickering's career, he has demonstrated a commitment to the reversal of a number of these rights, for which LCCR has fought for more than 50 years.
Charles Pickering's negative civil rights record is of particular concern in the circuit to which he has been nominated. With 43 percent of the Fifth Circuit made up of people from underrepresented groups, it is crucial that the judges be extremely sensitive to the civil rights and concerns of these populations. However, as a state senator, Pickering voted to resist measures that would expand electoral opportunities for African Americans, even after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In addition, as a district court judge, Pickering has continued to strongly criticize the protection of voters' rights by federal courts under the "one person-one vote" doctrine as "obtrusive."
Joining the LCCR and other national organizations in opposing Charles Pickering's confirmation is a diverse group of individuals and representatives from civil rights and women's rights organizations in Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana. Several recently made their opposition known in written letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Some community leaders came to the nation's capitol last week to voice their opposition to their Senators and to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Press interested in reviewing these letters and/or contacting these individuals and organizations should call 202.466.1885.
In addition to these individuals and organizations, a diverse cross-section of national organizations have opposed Charles Pickering's confirmation because of his record on civil rights and constitutional rights. The most recent organizations to announce their official opposition include the National Bar Association and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). A full listing of organizations opposing Charles Pickering's nomination as well as other Pickering-related information is available at
www.fairjudges.org.
Contacts:
Brian Komar Peter Montgomery
202.466.1885 202.467-4999
From
http://www.naacp.org
NAACP Again Urges Senate To Reject Pickering Nomination
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) today urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject the nomination of Judge Charles Pickering to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
The NAACP National Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution introduced by the 140-unit Mississippi Conference of Branches opposing the Pickering nomination. Additionally, the state conference of branches in Louisiana and Texas, which is part of the 5th Circuit, also oppose the nomination.
The resolution said in part: "Over his forty-year legal career, Judge Pickering has developed a very troubling civil rights record, concerning inter-racial marriage, voting rights and equal employment protections. Moreover, the resolution said: "Judge Pickering's hostility to civil and voting rights continued when he became a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. He has questioned the role of federal courts in enforcing voting rights and has openly criticized the one-person one-vote doctrine. Additionally, he has demonstrated a passionate reluctance to protect the rights of victims of employment discrimination."
Kathy Egland, a member of the NAACP Board of Directors and a resident of Gulfport, Mississippi, said: "This nomination represents retrogression on civil rights issues and opens a gateway of horror in our own backyard." Egland said the national news media "has distorted the level of support among Mississippi blacks for the judge." The Mississippi State Conference of NAACP Branches has called for the rejection of the Pickering nomination.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
Contact: NAACP Office of Communications
410.486.9227
