Nearly 200 female Louisiana lawyers urge block of Kavanaugh nomination

(WAFB) - Nearly 200 female Louisiana lawyers have signed a petition urging the state’s two United States senators to vote against nominating Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Two New Orleans lawyers, Celeste Coco-Ewing and Judy Barrasso, started the effort. Coco-Ewing says the period for signing the petition was set to close at 5 p.m. Thursday. After that, it will be sent to Louisiana Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy. As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, 189 lawyers had signed the petition, including prominent Baton Rouge attorney Jill Craft.

“I believe that our system of justice rises and falls on the integrity of the system itself and the stability and temperament of its ambassadors,” Craft said.

In a letter accompanying the petition, the female lawyers say “putting aside the serious sexual allegations leveled against him, Judge Kavanaugh’s conduct during the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on September 27th established that he lacks the judicial temperament, credibility, and respect for the Constitutional advice and consent process and for the United States Senate.”

The women say Kavanaugh’s actions during his confirmation hearing should be enough to disqualify him from consideration. “We draw upon our own courtroom experiences to inform you that had an attorney or a criminal defendant behaved similarly during a court appearance, that attorney or criminal defendant would have been reprimanded, likely sanctioned, and possibly jailed for contempt of court. Based on Judge Kavanaugh’s conduct alone, he should not be appointed to the highest Court in our land,” the letter said.

The full text of the letter can be read below:

We are members of the Louisiana State Bar Association with decades of experience practicing in federal and state courts inside and outside of Louisiana--and we are women.

We urge you to vote no on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. Putting aside the serious sexual assault allegations leveled against him, Judge Kavanaugh’s conduct during the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on September 27th established that he lacks the judicial temperament, credibility, and respect for the Constitutional advice and consent process and for the United States Senate.

Judicial temperament, credibility, and respect for the Constitutional process and the Senate, a co-equal branch of the United States Government, should be paramount requisites for a candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court.

We draw upon our own courtroom experiences to inform you that had an attorney or a criminal defendant behaved similarly during a court appearance, that attorney or criminal defendant would have been reprimanded, likely sanctioned, and possibly jailed for contempt of court.

Based on Judge Kavanaugh’s conduct alone, he should not be appointed to the highest Court in our land.

It is imperative that we preserve the nation's confidence in the Supreme Court, as a non-partisan arm of our government, particularly in these troubling times.

We ask you to take a step of courage.

Vote against his confirmation when it comes to the Senate floor. Put nation over party.

Copyright 2018 WAFB. All rights reserved.