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Controversial Judge Confirmed for Court of Appeals

October 24, 2007 12:02 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: In a major victory for the Bush administration's judicial nominations, Judge Leslie Southwick was confirmed 59-39 by the Senate today to a lifetime appointment on the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in Louisiana.

Southwick, a former Mississippi state appeals court judge who joined the National Guard as a JAG officer in his 40's and served in Iraq in 2005, has been the latest battle in the war over judicial confirmations.

Liberal groups, like People for the American Way, were ardently opposed to his nomination. Conservatives backed him and mounted a lobbying campaign on his behalf.

As a state appeals court judge from 1995-2006, Southwick joined in several opinions that sent liberal activists into a lather. In 2001 he signed onto a controversial decision that gave custody of an 8 year-old girl to her father. The decision noted that the girl was living in a lesbian home and used the term "homosexual lifestyle." He also joined in a decision to reinstate a white state employee who had used the "N word" to describe a coworker. That ruling was eventually overruled by the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Southwick was only narrowly voted out of the judiciary committee earlier this year, largely on the vote of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who broke with other Democrats on the committee to support Southwick after meeting with him. While 62 senators voted to cut off debate on his nomination, only 59 voted for his confirmation.

October 24, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (0)

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