By Rick Manning
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee pushed back consideration of the nomination of Judge Robert Chatigny for a lifetime appointment to fill the Second Circuit Court of Appeals seat vacated when Sonia Sotomayor was elevated to the Supreme Court, delaying the vote indefinitely.
Chatigny has been at the center of a firestorm related to his handling of judicial proceedings related to admitted serial killer of eight, Michael Ross, as well as his controversial decision to declare Connecticut’s law tracking child molesters unconstitutional. Chatigny’s child molester decision was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Bill Wilson, President of Americans for Limited Government urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to shelve the nomination stating, “Chatigny has proven himself to be unsuitable for promotion, and if anything, he should be impeached for his unethical judicial conduct in the Michael Ross case.”
Chatigny was investigated for a breach of judicial ethics in the infamous Road Side Strangler case, when it was revealed that he had threatened Ross’ attorneys license if he didn’t convince Ross to continue appealing the case. Additionally, Chatigny failed to recuse himself in the case due to his previous attempts to intervene on Ross’ behalf while he was a private attorney.
Americans for Limited Government has played a major role in bringing the Chatigny nomination into the public arena, having run advertisements opposing the nomination in Nevada, Wisconsin and Vermont. The ads urge people to contact their Senators and urge them to reject Chatigny.
The nomination became so controversial that Senate Republicans forced Obama to re-nominate him by using a little known Senate prerogative that returned the nomination to the President.
Obama confirmed his desire for Chatigny to sit on the second highest court in the land by renominating him on September 13th.
Senate Democrats are anticipated to try to fast track nominees to have them avoid the scrutiny that would occur if Republicans win a majority in the U.S. Senate in the upcoming November elections.
Rick Manning is the Director of Communications of Americans for Limited Government.
