HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A nominee to Connecticut’s highest court docket advised state lawmakers Monday that she wouldn't have signed a 2017 letter supporting Amy Coney Barrett for a federal appeals court docket place if she knew Barrett would later vote to overturn Roe v. Wade abortion protections as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court docket.
Sandra Slack Glover, a federal prosecutor nominated by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, made the remark throughout her affirmation listening to earlier than the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, as a number of members of the Democratic majority expressed considerations about her assist of Barrett. The committee held off voting on Glover’s nomination Monday night, citing the late hour. No date for a vote was instantly set.
Glover had mentioned she wasn’t “going to demonize” Barrett, “however after I have a look at that letter now ... I’m now not snug with a few of these statements.
“However I additionally believed, clearly naively at this level, I assumed there have been guardrails,” she mentioned, referring to judges’ respect for authorized precedents. “And I assumed the decrease court docket judges had been constrained. I assumed the Supreme Court docket was constrained. And I used to be fallacious. And looking out again and realizing what I now know, I shouldn’t have signed it.”
Glover added she was a agency supporter of abortion rights, from the views of each a lady and a lawyer.
A message searching for remark from Barrett was despatched to the U.S. Supreme Court docket.
Glover was amongst 34 individuals who served as U.S. Supreme Court docket legislation clerks in 1998, together with Barrett, who signed the 2017 letter to leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee supporting Barrett’s nomination to the seventh U.S. Circuit Court docket of Appeals in Chicago. In 1998, Barrett was a clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia and Glover was a clerk for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
The letter mentioned the signees believed Barrett was “totally certified” to be a federal appeals choose.
“Professor Barrett is a lady of exceptional mind and character,” the letter mentioned. “She is eminently certified for the job. This view is unanimous — each legislation clerk from October Time period 1998 has joined this letter.
“Based mostly on our observations, we got here to respect Professor Barrett’s conscientious work ethic, her respect for the legislation, and her exceptional authorized skills,” it mentioned. “She performed herself with professionalism, grace, and integrity.”
Glover mentioned the letter was not an endorsement of Barrett’s political opinions.
Barrett was later nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court docket by President Donald Trump and was among the many conservative majority that overturned Roe v. Wade final 12 months. Throughout Senate hearings earlier than her affirmation, Barrett had mentioned she would obey stare decisis, the doctrine of courts giving weight to precedent when making selections.
State Rep. Patricia Dillon, a New Haven Democrat, mentioned the state Supreme Court docket was important in performing as a “firewall” in opposition to the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court docket.
“There’s some very dramatic issues occurring in Washington,” Dillon mentioned at Monday’s listening to. “If I may quote Justice (Elena) Kagan, really, the stakes couldn't be larger on the state degree as a result of that could be the risk we've got relating to some points.”
All present justices on the seven-member state Supreme Court docket had been nominated by Democratic governors.
Glover, 52, of Guilford, is chief of the appellate unit on the Connecticut U.S. legal professional’s workplace, the place she has labored since 2004. She beforehand served as an appellate legal professional on the U.S. Division of Justice and in personal apply.
If Glover in the end clears a Judiciary Committee vote, her nomination will go to the Senate and Home of Representatives for approval. Each are Democrat-controlled.
If the committee votes down her nomination, the chambers nonetheless may take it up.
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Related Press author Susan Haigh contributed to this report.
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