Northwestern Law professors sign on to NYT op-ed opposing Kavanaugh’s confirmation
October 4, 2018
At least 25 Northwestern law professors have added their names to a New York Times op-ed opposing the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
The Wednesday letter, addressed to Senators and signed by over 2,400 law professors, argues that Kavanaugh has the wrong temperament to sit on the court.
“We regret that we feel compelled to write to you, our Senators, to provide our views that at the Senate hearings on Sept. 27, Judge Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land,” read the letter.
The op-ed argues that “judicial temperament is one of the most important qualities of a judge,” and that the ideal Supreme Court justice is “even-handed, unbiased (and) impartial.” Kavanaugh, by contrast, was “aggressive” and “exhibited a lack of commitment to judicious inquiry,” the op-ed said.
Kavanaugh defended himself and his behavior on Thursday.
“I forcefully and passionately denied the allegation against me,” he wrote in the Wall Street Journal. “I know my tone was sharp, and I said I few things I should not have said.”
Last Thursday, Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, after Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her while they were in high school.
Though the authors of the Times letter wrote that they recognize the “painful” nature of the questioning, they still condemned Kavanaugh’s conduct.
“We are united, as professors of law and scholars of judicial institutions, in believing that he did not display the impartiality and judicial temperament requisite to sit on the highest court of our land,” said the op-ed.
The letter was presented to the Senate on Thursday, the same day the Senate Judiciary Committee received access to the FBI investigation into Ford’s accusations. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said the report contains no “contemporaneous evidence” to support Ford’s claims, though the committee’s Democrats say the investigation was not thorough.
The Senate is expected to vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation Saturday.
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