Alliance for Justice (afj.org) today asked that you urge your Senators to stop Leslie Southwick’s ascension to the federal bench.  In recent meetings with Senators, staff expressed doubt that their constituents care about this nomination.

AFJ has been pressing for the defeat of Leslie Southwick’s nomination to the Fifth Circuit.  But despite widespread opposition to the confirmation of Judge Southwick, his nomination was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last month and now is headed to the Senate floor.

The Congressional Black Caucus, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, People for the American Way, Human Rights Campaign, National Employment Lawyers Association, National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce, Mississippi NAACP, the Magnolia Bar and the Equal Justice Society are all calling for his defeat.

On the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Judge Leslie Southwick consistently favored corporations, insurance companies, and other powerful interests over vulnerable American workers and consumers.  His record calls into question his commitment to equal dignity and equal justice for minorities.  At his hearing, Judge Southwick did nothing to allay these serious concerns.

The Fifth Circuit has more minority residents than any other circuit and frequently hears critical civil rights cases. It is especially important, therefore, that a nominee to this court has an unwavering commitment to equal justice and a willingness to protect the rights of less politically powerful groups such as minorities, workers, and consumers.

Instead, Judge Southwick has compiled a stark and lengthy record of rejecting the claims of racial minorities and siding with business interests against workers and consumers.

Judge Southwick was criticized by a member of his own court in Mississippi for having a double standard in cases involving racial discrimination in jury selection. And, in one especially egregious case, Judge Southwick trivialized an employee’s use of the “n” word in the workplace and voted to reinstate her employment.

Moreover, Judge Southwick has an 89 percent record of voting against workers, consumers and other victims in divided decisions. In 160 out of 180 published decisions involving state employment law and torts cases in which at least two judges dissented, Judge Southwick voted against the injured party and in favor of business interests, such as corporations or insurance companies.

At his confirmation hearing, Senator Durbin (D-Il) asked Judge Southwick to give an example of a time when he’d made an unpopular decision in favor of “the little guy” — a poor person, a member of a racial minority, or someone who had turned to the courts for help. Judge Southwick couldn’t name a single one.

Judge Southwick has not shown himself to be the kind of judge fit for a lifetime seat on the federal bench.

Click here to fax a message to your Senators’ offices to vote against Leslie Southwick.