CONTACT:  JODY HEDEMAN
(202) 842-3560
 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POLICE ORGANIZATIONS URGES SENATE NOT TO CONFIRM JUDGE FREDERICA MASSIAH-JACKSON TO U.S. DISTRICT COURT

ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT CURRENT VACANCIES

WASHINGTON, DC-Today, the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) announced its concern over the current 84 vacant federal judgeships representing roughly 10% of the total federal judiciary and joined other police organizations in urging the United States Senate not to confirm Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  The organizations took part in a joint press conference on the hill.

“The problem is two-fold, and it threatens our entire judicial system,” said Robert T. Scully, NAPO’s executive director.  “The recent efforts to fill the vacant federal judgeships are promising; however, there are still 84 vacancies to fill.  The justice system needs a full compliment of judges to operate effectively and properly.  We support Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist’s recent major concern about the level of judicial vacancies,” continued Scully.  “The other problem is that we are left questioning the qualifications of some of the nominees,” said Scully.

Senator John Ashcroft (R-MO) has stated that Philadelphia Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson has a bias against law enforcement.  Her record shows that she is lenient on criminals, uses expletives in court and is insensitive to the victims of crime.

In a letter written on January 22, 1998 to Senators Orrin G. Hatch and Patrick J. Leahy, the Chairman and ranking Democrat of the Senate Judiciary Committee,  Robert T. Scully, Executive Director of NAPO, wrote, “While NAPO is very concerned about the current level of vacant federal judgeships, we believe that Judge Massiah-Jackson should not be confirmed because she has proven that she has a noticeable bias against law enforcement.  Considering her history of being soft on criminals and biased against the police, as well as her unprofessional conduct observed in the court room, we do not feel that she meets the standards to serve this country with a life-time appointment as a federal judge.  Such an appointment, in our opinion, would make a mockery of the United States justice system.”

The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) is a coalition of police unions and associations from across the United States that serves in Washington, DC to advance the interests of America’s law enforcement officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education.  Founded in 1978, NAPO now represents more than 4,000 police unions and associations, 250,000 sworn law enforcement officers, 3,000 retired officers and more than 100,000 citizens who share a common dedication to fair and effective crime control and law enforcement.

###