confirmation hearing on federal appointments hearing committee on the judiciary united states ...

734 Pages·2003·22.88 MB·English

S. HRG. 108–135, PT. 1
CONFIRMATION HEARING ON FEDERAL
APPOINTMENTS
HEARING
BEFORETHE
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
JANUARY 29, 2003
PART 1
Serial No. J–108–1
Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary
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COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah, Chairman
CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts
JON KYL, Arizona JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., Delaware
MIKE DEWINE, Ohio HERBERT KOHL, Wisconsin
JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California
LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin
LARRY E. CRAIG, Idaho CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York
SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois
JOHN CORNYN, Texas JOHN EDWARDS, North Carolina
MAKAN DELRAHIM, Chief Counsel and Staff Director
BRUCE A. COHEN, Democratic Chief Counsel and Staff Director
(II)
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C O N T E N T S
STATEMENTS OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Page
Chambliss, Hon. Saxby, a U.S. Senator from the State of Georgia..................... 42
Cornyn, Hon. John, a U.S. Senator from the State of Texas ............................... 69
Durbin, Hon. Richard J., a U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois .................... 84
Feingold, Hon. Russell D., a U.S. Senator from the State of Wisconsin ............. 49
Hatch, Hon. Orrin G., a U.S. Senator from the State of Utah ............................ 2
prepared statement .......................................................................................... 599
Kennedy, Hon. Edward M., a U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts ... 29
Kohl, Hon. Herbert, a U.S. Senator from the State of Wisconsin ....................... 74
Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., a U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont .................... 7
prepared statement .......................................................................................... 635
Schumer, Hon. Charles E., a U.S. Senator from the State of New York ............ 59
PRESENTERS
Cornyn, Hon. John, a U.S. Senator from the State of Texas presenting Robert
Junell, Nominee to be District Judge for the Western District of Texas ........ 140
DeWine, Hon. Mike, a U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio:
presenting Deborah L. Cook and Jeffrey S. Sutton, Nominees to be Cir-
cuit Judges for the Sixth Circuit ................................................................. 22
presenting John Adams, Nominee to be District Judge for the Northern
District of Ohio .............................................................................................. 139
Feinstein, Hon. Dianne, a U.S. Senator from the State of California pre-
senting S. James Otero, Nominee to be District Judge for the Central
District of California ............................................................................................ 20
Hutchison, Hon. Kay Bailey, a U.S. Senator from the State of Texas pre-
senting Robert Junell, Nominee to be District Judge for the Western Dis-
trict of Texas......................................................................................................... 14
Voinovitch, Hon. George, a U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio presenting
Deborah L. Cook and Jeffrey S. Sutton, Nominees to be Circuit Judges
for the Sixth Circuit and John Adams, Nominee to be District Judge for
the Northern District of Ohio.............................................................................. 16
Warner, Hon. John, a U.S. Senator from the State of Virginia presenting
John G. Roberts, Jr., Nominee to be Circuit Judge for the District of
Columbia Circuit .................................................................................................. 13
prepared statement .......................................................................................... 714
STATEMENTS OF THE NOMINEES
Adams, John, Nominee to be District Judge for the Northern District of
Ohio ....................................................................................................................... 141
Questionnaire.................................................................................................... 149
Cook, Deborah L., Nominee to be Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit ............... 27
Questionnaire.................................................................................................... 275
Junell, Robert, Nominee to be District Judge for the Western District of
Texas ..................................................................................................................... 142
Questionnaire.................................................................................................... 190
Otero, S. James, Nominee to be District Judge for the Central District of
California .............................................................................................................. 141
Questionnaire.................................................................................................... 222
Roberts, John G., Jr., Nominee to be Circuit Judge for the District of Colum-
bia Circuit ............................................................................................................. 28
(III)
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Roberts, John G., Jr., Nominee to be Circuit Judge for the District of Colum-
bia Circuit—Continued
Questionnaire.................................................................................................... 297
Sutton, Jeffrey S., Nominee to be Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit ............... 28
Questionnaire.................................................................................................... 340
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Responses of Deborah L. Cook to questions submitted by Senators Leahy,
Kennedy, Biden, Feingold, Edwards and Grassley (February 6, 2003) ........... 373
Responses of Deborah L. Cook to questions submitted by Senator Durbin
(February 12, 2003).............................................................................................. 404
Responses of John G. Roberts, Jr. to questions submitted by Senators Biden,
Feingold, Feinstein, and Kennedy (February 5, 2003) ...................................... 412
Responses of John G. Roberts, Jr. to questions submitted by Senator Schumer
(February 11, 2003).............................................................................................. 435
Responses of John G. Roberts, Jr. to questions submitted by Senators Leahy,
Kennedy, Kohl and Durbin (May 6, 2003) ......................................................... 443
Responses of Jeffrey S. Sutton to questions submitted by Senators Leahy,
Biden and Kennedy (February 6, 2003) ............................................................. 462
Responses of Jeffrey S. Sutton to questions submitted by Senator Schumer
(February 11, 2003).............................................................................................. 490
Responses of Jeffrey S. Sutton to questions submitted by Senator Durbin........ 495
SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD
Ability Center of Greater Toledo, Sylvania, Ohio, resolution .............................. 500
Access to Independence of Cortland County, Inc., Mary E. Ewing, Executive
Director, Cortland, New York, letter .................................................................. 501
Access II Independent Living Center, Gary E. Maddox, Executive Director,
Gallatin, Missouri, letter ..................................................................................... 503
Access Living, Marca Bristo, President & CEO, Chicago, Illinois, letter ........... 504
Advocates for Ohioans with Disabilities, Alice Sporar, President, Cleveland,
Ohio, letter ............................................................................................................ 507
AIDS Action, Claudia Dawn French, Executive Director, Washington, D.C.,
letter ...................................................................................................................... 508
Akron Beacon Journal, January 6, 2003, editorial ............................................... 509
American Association of People with Disabilities, Andrew J. Imparato, Presi-
dent & CEO, Washington, D.C., letter ............................................................... 511
American Council of the Blind, Melanie Brunson, Director of Advocacy and
Governmental Affairs, Washington, D.C., letter ............................................... 513
Barnard, Brian, Utica, New York, letter ............................................................... 515
Barnhill, Susan, Sacramento, California, letter .................................................... 517
Beytagh, Francis X., Dean Emeritus, Ohio State University School of Law,
Columbus, Ohio, letter ......................................................................................... 519
Boxer, Hon. Barbara, a U.S. Senator from the State of California, statement
in support of the nomination of S. James Otero to be District Judge for
the Central District of California........................................................................ 521
Brick, Lawrence J., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, letter ....................................... 522
Bryant, S., Frederick, Maryland, letter ................................................................. 523
Burt, Sharon, Meridian, Mississippi, letter ........................................................... 524
Campbell, Bonnie J., Arent Fox, Washington, D.C., letter .................................. 525
Cashin, Margarette Berg, Attorney at Law, Staten Island, New York ............... 527
Center for Civil Justice, Jacqueline Doig, Attorney at Law, Saginaw, Michi-
gan, letter ............................................................................................................. 528
Center for Independent Living Options, Cincinnati, Ohio, letter ........................ 531
Central Utah Center for Independent Living, Eileen D. Glathar, Provo, Utah,
letter ...................................................................................................................... 533
Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio, Beverly Johnson, Executive Director,
Columbus, Ohio, letter ......................................................................................... 534
Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey, Myra Ryan, Executive Director, Trenton, New
Jersey, letter ......................................................................................................... 536
Cincinnati Enquirer, Ray Cooklis, November 8, 2002, article ............................. 537
Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 29, 2000, editorial ............................................. 538
Coalition for Independent Living Options, Inc., Genevieve Cousminer, Coordi-
nator of Advocacy Services, West Palm Beach, Florida, memorandum .......... 541
Columbus Dispatch, August 18, 1999, editorial .................................................... 543
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Committee for Justice, Washington, D.C., editorial ............................................. 545
Crosby, Ronna, I.L. Coordinator, Southeast Kansas Independent Living Re-
source Center, Inc., letter .................................................................................... 555
Cunningham, Jo, Lower Lake, California, letter .................................................. 556
Dart, Yoshiko, Washington, D.C., letter and attachment .................................... 557
DeWine, Hon. Mike, a U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio, excerpts from
Ohio newspapers .................................................................................................. 559
Dole, Hon. Bob, former U.S. Senator from the State of Kansas, letter............... 560
Durham, Kirsten, St. Louis, Missouri, letter ........................................................ 563
Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, John D. Del Colle, Associate Execu-
tive Director, Government Relations, Jackson Heights, New York, letter ...... 564
Environmental organizations, joint letter and attachments ................................ 565
Everybody Counts Center for Independent Living, Teresa L. Torres, Executive
Director, Merrillville, Indiana, letter.................................................................. 583
Fischer, Cheryl A., Cleveland, Ohio, letter............................................................ 585
Ford, Ann, Springfield, Illinois, letter.................................................................... 586
Forman, Vicki, La Canada, California, letter........................................................ 587
Freedom Center, Inc., Jamey George, Executive Director, Frederick, Mary-
land, letter ............................................................................................................ 588
Gilhool, Thomas K., Attorney at Law, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, letter ......... 589
Godbout, Pam, Women’s Coordinator, Gender Justice Action Group, Park
Forest, Illinois, letter ........................................................................................... 591
Godino, Michael, Baldwin, New York, letter ......................................................... 593
Grant, Patricia, Piscataway, New Jersey, letter ................................................... 594
Grim, Nancy, Attorney at Law, Kent, Ohio, letter ............................................... 595
Groedel, Caryn M., Attorney at Law, Cleveland, Ohio, letter ............................. 597
Guagliano, Joseph L., Pawling, New York, letter ................................................. 598
Heightened Independence & Progress, Nancy Hodgins, Community Advocate,
Hackensack, New Jersey, letter .......................................................................... 603
Hetrick, Susan, Advocacy Director, Ability Center of Greater Toledo, Toledo,
Ohio, letter ............................................................................................................ 604
Holman, Stewart, Independent Living Specialist, North Country Independent
Living, Washburn, Wisconsin, letter .................................................................. 605
Hyman, Lester S., Counsel, Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman, LLP, Wash-
ington, D.C., letter ............................................................................................... 606
Independence Now, Inc., Catherine A. Raggio, Executive Director, Riverdale,
Maryland, letter ................................................................................................... 607
Individual state Attorneys General, joint letter.................................................... 609
James, Michele, Independent Living Specialist, Auburn, California, letter ....... 614
Jirschele, Lorie A., Pierre, South Dakota, letter ................................................... 617
Johnson, Harriet McBryde, Attorney at Law, Charleston, South Carolina,
letter ...................................................................................................................... 618
Jonas, Judy, Paramus, New Jersey, letter ............................................................ 619
Jones, Eddie, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, letter ....................................................... 620
Judicial Selection Monitoring Project, Washington, D.C., letter ......................... 621
Katyal, Neal Kumar, Visiting Professor of Law, Yale Law School, New Haven,
Connecticut, letter ................................................................................................ 625
Knoblauch, Roger, Bloomington, Illinois, letter .................................................... 627
Knop, Shirley, Clinton, New York, letter .............................................................. 628
Lawyers who served in the Office of Solicitor General, joint letter .................... 629
Laycock, Douglas, Alice McKean Young Regents Chair in Law, University
of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, letter ........................................................... 633
Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., Hon. Edward M. Kennedy, Hon. Joseph R. Biden,
Jr., Hon. Herbert Kohl, Hon. Russell D. Feingold, Hon. Charles E. Schumer,
Hon. Richard J. Durbin, and Hon. John Edwards, joint letter ........................ 642
Leonard, James, Professor of Law and Library Director, University of Ala-
bama School of Law, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, letter ............................................ 644
Liberty Resources, Inc., Thomas H. Earle, Esquire, Executive Director, Phila-
delphia, Pennsylvania, letter .............................................................................. 646
Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential, Melanie Hogan, Interim Direc-
tor, Cleveland, Ohio, letter .................................................................................. 647
Long, Beverly B., Member, Board of Neuroscience and Behavioral Health,
Atlanta, Georgia, letter........................................................................................ 648
Meckler, Theodore E., Attorney at Law, letter ..................................................... 649
Members of the Bar of the District of Columbia, joint letter ............................... 652
Messing, Rudavsky & Weliky, P.C., Boston, Massachusetts, joint letter ........... 657
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Michigan Association of Centers for Independent Living, Liz O’Hara, Execu-
tive Director, Haslett, Michigan, letter .............................................................. 659
Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council, Duncan Wyeth, Chair, Public
Policy Committee, Lansing, Michigan, letter..................................................... 660
Montgomery, Betty D., Attorney General of the State of Ohio, Columbus,
Ohio, letter ............................................................................................................ 661
National Coalition for Disability Rights, Washington, D.C., sample petition
and attachments................................................................................................... 663
National Council on Independent Living, Arlington, Virginia, statement.......... 667
National Disabled Students Union, Portland, Oregon, letter and attachment .. 668
National Employment Lawyers Association, Frederick Gittes, President, San
Francisco, California, letter................................................................................. 672
National School Boards Association, Anne L. Bryant, Executive Director, and
Julie Underwood, General Counsel/Associate Executive Director, Alexan-
dria, Virginia, letter ............................................................................................. 675
New York State Independent Living Council, Brad Williams, Executive Direc-
tor, Albany, New York, letter .............................................................................. 677
New York Times, editorial, October 14, 2000........................................................ 679
Northern Regional Center for Independent Living, Aileen Martin, Executive
Director, Watertown, New York, letter .............................................................. 680
Ocean State Center for Independent Living, Susan Eleoff, Warwick, Rhode
Island, memorandum ........................................................................................... 681
Ohio disability organizations, joint letter .............................................................. 682
Options for Independence, Inc., Judy Wright, Statewide Systems Advocate,
Auburn, New York, letter .................................................................................... 683
Oregon State Rehabilitation Council, Tim E. Holmes, SRC Chair, Salem,
Oregon, letter ....................................................................................................... 684
Perez, Clifton, Systems Advocate, Independent Living Center of the Hudson
Valley, Troy, New York, letter ............................................................................ 685
Pressley, Fred G., Jr., Attorney at Law, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur
LLP, Columbus, Ohio, letter ............................................................................... 687
Progress Center for Independent Living, Diane Coleman, Executive Director,
Forest Park, Illinois, letter .................................................................................. 688
Pryor, Bill, Attorney General, State of Alabama, letter ....................................... 689
Redenbaugh, Russell G., Commissioner, United States Commission on Civil
Rights, Washington, D.C., letter ......................................................................... 690
Regional Access and Mobilization Project, Inc., Peter Schultz, Education &
Advocacy Coordinator, Rockford, Illinois, letter ................................................ 691
Reich, Alan A., President, National Organization on Disability, Washington,
D.C., letter ............................................................................................................ 692
Rothenberg, Ira, North Hollywood, California, letter ........................................... 693
Ruben Center for Independent Living, Emas Bennett, Executive Director,
Merrillville, Indiana, letter ................................................................................. 694
Sanderson, Robert G., Roy, Utah, letter ................................................................ 696
Sauerland, Paul, Hicksville, New York, letter ...................................................... 697
Schumer, Hon. Charles E., submission of Jeffrey S. Sutton quotes on fed-
eralism .................................................................................................................. 698
Seamon, Richard H., Assistant Professor of Law, University of South Caro-
lina, Columbia, South Carolina, letter ............................................................... 701
Skaggs, Kimberly M., Executive Director, Equal Justice Foundation, Colum-
bus, Ohio, letter.................................................................................................... 702
Sommers, Andrew R., Agency for Healthcare Research and Policy, Rockville,
Maryland, letter ................................................................................................... 703
Southern Maryland Council of the Blind, Robert A. Kerr, President, Mechan-
icsville, Maryland, letter...................................................................................... 704
Steiner, David J., Esq., Attorney at Law, Cleveland, Ohio, letter ...................... 705
Sullivan, Julie, Rock Island, Tennessee, letter ..................................................... 706
Tanya Towers Treatment Apartments, New York Society for the Deaf, New
York, New York, joint letter ................................................................................ 707
Toledo Blade, December 15, 2002, editorial .......................................................... 708
Treanor, Richard B., Esq., Attorney at Law, Washington, D.C., letter............... 710
Van Dyke, David A., Pastor, Broad Street Presbyterian Church, Columbus,
Ohio, letter ............................................................................................................ 712
Watson, Patricia, Barboursville, West Virginia, letter ......................................... 719
Waxman, Seth P., Attorney at Law, Washington, D.C., letter ............................ 720
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Williams, Keith, Statewide Action Team Community Organizer, Northeast
Pennsylvania Center for Independent Living, Scranton, Pennsylvania, let-
ter .......................................................................................................................... 721
Wolman, Benson A., Attorney at Law, Wolman, Genshaft & Gellman, Colum-
bus, Ohio, letter.................................................................................................... 722
Worth, Vonne, former owner, Different Times, Seattle, Washington, letter ...... 724
Zietlow, Rebecca, Professor of Law, University of Toledo College of Law,
Toledo, Ohio, letter............................................................................................... 725
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NOMINATION OF DEBORAH L. COOK, NOMI-
NEE TO BE CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE SIXTH
CIRCUIT; JOHN G. ROBERTS, JR., NOMINEE
TO BE CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE D.C. CIR-
CUIT; JEFFREY S. SUTTON, NOMINEE TO BE
CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT;
JOHN ADAMS, NOMINEE TO BE DISTRICT
JUDGE FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF
OHIO; S. JAMES OTERO, NOMINEE TO BE
DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE CENTRAL DIS-
TRICT OF CALIFORNIA; AND ROBERT
JUNELL, NOMINEE TO BE DISTRICT JUDGE
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003
UNITED STATES SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:39 a.m., in Room
SD–226, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Orrin G. Hatch,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senators Hatch, Kyl, DeWine, Sessions, Graham, Craig,
Chambliss, Cornyn, Leahy, Kennedy, Biden, Kohl, Feinstein, Fein-
gold, Schumer, Durbin, and Edwards.
Chairman HATCH. Our hearings are open to the public and to the
interested public. Of course, as a champion of the ADA and the
Americans with Disabilities Act, I’ve done everything possible to
accommodate the persons with disabilities, who informed us yester-
day that they would be attending the hearing.
Now, in fact, when we received word that there would be three
deaf people in attendance, we immediately arranged an interpreter
for them. When we were informed that up to 100 people with dis-
abilities would be coming, we immediately began looking through-
out the building for an additional suitable room to accommodate all
of them.
As background, the Committee practices to allow the public to at-
tend hearings on a first-come, first-serve basis, and often many of
the people who wait in line never get in. Rather than follow the
usual practice and have most people in the hallways, we instead
reserved SD–G50, a special first floor room for any guest who could
(1)
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2
not be accommodated in the hearing room. Now, we are very dis-
appointed that we were unable to get SH–216, which would have
been a bigger room and would have allowed us perhaps to get ev-
erybody in. I have asked my staff to look at SD–G50 and see how
full it is, and see if we can accommodate everybody down there be-
cause we could immediately move down there if it is. Our problem
is all of the television is set up and everything else right now, but
we will check on it and we will see what we can do, because I am
the last person on earth who would not want to accommodate those
who are persons with disabilities. So we will start here and we will
check out that room. If it is capable of handling this, we will try
to accommodate if we can move everything down there, but as of
right now, I think we are going to have to proceed here until I re-
ceive back word from staff.
Senator LEAHY. Can I say something about that?
Chairman HATCH. And I would like your staff to work with them.
Senator LEAHY. I would. I have already asked my staff to go
down and look at SD–G50. When I went by there earlier this morn-
ing, I mean it is a huge room. I think it would probably accommo-
date. We had people standing out here for an hour waiting, and
maybe one way to do it would be to have the Senators who are here
to make their statements, but I would really strongly urge that we
move down there. It is a much larger room and it would be a lot
easier to accommodate some people who have not been able to get
in.
Chairman HATCH. Let’s see if we can do it.
[Applause.]
Senator KENNEDY. I think it is a reasonable way to proceed in
terms of hearing from the presenters here, and then as I under-
stand as well, that SD–G50 is open and is available, and it seems
to me that we ought to give the opportunity for people who have
an interest in these nominees, an opportunity to hear them. And
so I support Senator Leahy’s proposal and hope that that can be—
Chairman HATCH. I think I made that comment, and I am cer-
tainly amenable to that. So let’s have Senator Leahy’s staff and my
staff go down there and see if we can accommodate us down there.
If we cannot, we are going to continue here. If we can, we will
move down there with dispatch, because I am not going to waste
a lot of time moving. So everybody is just going to have to move
down there as quickly as they can. But I certainly want to always
accommodate as many people as we possibly can, and especially
those who suffer from disabilities, and we will just do it that way.
We can make our two statements, and then we will have the two
Senators make theirs or any other Senators who want to come at
this time.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ORRIN G. HATCH, A U.S.
SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF UTAH
Chairman HATCH. Good morning. I am pleased to welcome all of
you to the committee’s first judicial confirmation hearing of the
108th Congress. I first would like to acknowledge and thank Sen-
ator Leahy for his service as Chairman of this Committee over the
past 16 months.
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