Schumer: White House to nominate Irizarry to federal court bench

NJ.com ^ | /27/03

[nickcarraway]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dora Irizarry, a former Republican candidate for New York state attorney general, will be nominated by the White House to a federal judgeship in Brooklyn, Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday.

Schumer, a Democrat on the Judiciary committee, said he has met with Irizarry and supports her nomination. Irizarry would be the first Hispanic appointed to a judgeship in the Eastern District of New York, the senator said.

[KantianBurke]

On the surface this is a bad move by Bush for several reasons. First if this is a Judge who SCHUMER wants, I'm sickened about why. Second why is Bush giving the Rats the ability to say "Hey we're not against ALL of Bush's judges. Heck we just nominated a hispanic one!" Someone fill me in please.

[airborne]

How does her record compare to Estrada? Could it be that some of her positions are similar, or at least enough to make an issue against the Dems?

[nickcarraway]

That is going to be a problem.

[aruanan]

Schumer, a leader in the Democratic effort, has complained Estrada has not been forthcoming about his views.

In other words, Schumer has complained that Estrada doesn't want the same things that Schumer wants and won't tell him what he wants to hear.

[nickcarraway]

Not only that, but judicial nominees are not supposed to weigh in on issues that will come before them on the bench.

[John123]

She is legally moderate

Pardon me? Are you saying it is illegal to be a conservative? Damn, I must be a closet rebel because I am white, male and conservative!

[gov_bean_ counter]

On the other hand, the Dem powers that be have decided that Schumer gets a pass on the judicial obstruction issue, while others will still have to deal with a backlash. Some Dems aren't going to like it.

Let us see how this one plays before passing judgement.

[WOSG]

Yes, Schumer is saying just that: Conservatives need not apply. He applies his litmus test.

This judge must be pro Roe v Wade or he would oppose her.

[NewHampshireDuo]

Fine, sequence her after Estrada.

[TLBSHOW]

A Democrat-turned-Republican, she was picked as a New York City Criminal Court justice by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1995. Pataki named her to the state Court of Claims in 1997.

After losing to Spitzer last fall, Irizarry - a single mom - joined the 18-lawyer firm of Hoguet, Newman & Regal, which has been hired to represent Pataki as outside counsel in several cases.

When the Democrats controlled the Senate, Schumer demanded - and got - deferential treatment from the White House in picking judges and U.S. attorneys and he could block nominees on the Judiciary Committee. But he has less clout now that Republicans are in control.

Schumer has already opposed Bush on some judgeship nominees from outside New York, vowing to do "everything I can" to block them including a filibuster. His office, however, insisted he has a "good working relationship" with the White House on New York judges.

Last year, Schumer waited months before agreeing to back another Pataki ally, Roslynn Mauskopf, as Bush's choice for Brooklyn U.S. attorney.

Schumer also nixed Pataki's first pick for Manhattan U.S. attorney and was instrumental in the eventual approval of James Comey for the key position.
http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n03/Spitzer-en.shtml

[birdsman]

By allowing a vote on Dora Irizarry, the dems can appease hispanic voters that are angry over the Estrada fiasco. This is good enough of a reason for Pres. Bush to NOT nominate Irizarry. Why let the dems off the hook with hispanic voters? Just because Sen. Chuck the Schmuck says that she'll be nominated doesn't make it a done deal.

[anniegetyourgun]

And after the other female nominee...P. Owens.

[DeweyCA]

Also, this is NOT for an Appeals Court position. The Dems haven't been blocking all of the District Court level positions, just the Appeals Court level. They know that District Court decisions are often overturned by Appeals Courts, but that only a limited amount of Appeals Court decisions can be taken up by the Supreme Court.

[victim soul]

If Schumer likes her -- beware!!!!

Tompkins GOP Fall Dinner
Local conservatives hear from endorsed candidates

With the November elections just around the corner, upstate conservatives gathered for the annual Tompkins County GOP Fall Dinner on Oct. 25, 2002, for an evening of Republican reverie and political hobnobbing. In attendance were such local luminaries as US Representative Sherwood Boehlert, Tompkins County Chairman Mark Finkelstein (’70), and rising star, NYS Assembly candidate Mike Sigler. Guest of honor The Honorable Dora Irizarry, Republican candidate for New York State Attorney General later treated attendees to a speech.

Judge Dora Irizarry delivered the night’s keynote address.

http://www.cornellreview.org/viewart.cgi?num=215

If elected she would be New York State’s first female Attorney General. Judge Irizarry began by speaking about her values. She said that she was a feminist in Susan B. Anthony’s tradition. She continued by speaking about her platform, stressing the importance of law enforcement. “We need to protect children from pedophiles and street gangs,” she said. “One child killed is one child too many.”

Judge Irizarry also campaigned on behalf of Governor Pataki, highlighting the close relationship between his duties and those of the Attorney General. “We have to make sure that Pataki comes back for another four years,” she said. “It is important that the Governor have an Attorney General who supports him and his plan for the state of New York.”

The Tompkins County GOP received strong praise from Judge Irizarry. “I have never seen more dedicated Republicans than the Republicans of Tompkins County,” she said.

The event recognized the hard work of local Republicans and conservatives, bringing forth opportunities for activism in the future. Tompkins County may be left leaning, but the local GOP is unfazed in its determination to fight for Republican Party ideals.

Judge Dora L. Irizarry was nominated by Governor Pataki for Judge of the Court of claims and confirmed by the New York State Senate in March 1997. She sat as an Acting Supreme Court Justice in New York County Supreme Court, Criminal Term. Judge Irizarry is the first Hispanic woman to be appointed a Court of Claims Judge.

http://www.judgeirizarry.com/biography.htm

She initially sat in Kings County Supreme Court, the first Hispanic woman to do so. Before her ascension to the Supreme Court bench, Judge Irizarry was appointed Judge of the Criminal Court, of New York City by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani in December 1995. She sat in Bronx County Criminal Court initially and then sat in New York County Criminal Court, one of the busiest courts in the country. Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Irizarry was a prosecutor for sixteen years.

Her legal career began in 1979 as an Assistant District Attorney in the Appeals Bureau of the Bronx District Attorney's Office. In 1981, Judge Irizarry was assigned to the Office of the New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor as a line assistant. Less than a year later, she was assigned to that Office's Special Investigations Bureau and prosecuted some of the most important narcotics cases in the city. In 1987, she was appointed Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office and continued to serve with the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor. Soon, her accomplishments in the field of complex narcotics investigations led to positions demanding greater degrees of responsibility and legal acumen, which culminated in her appointment as Senior Supervising and Investigating Attorney specializing in wiretap and electronic surveillance operations.

Judge Irizarry also served as a Special Assistant United State Attorney in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern district of New York and as a Special Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Statewide Organized Crime Task Force.

Judge Irizarry attended the Bronx High School of Science. She obtained her Bachelor's Degree from Yale University where she graduated with honors and distinction in her major of Political Sociology. She graduated from Columbia University School of Law with a Juris Doctor Degree. She is a member of the New York State Bar and the Federal Bars of the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Throughout her career, Judge Irizarry has devoted herself to working with the City's youth, frequently participating in activities with a wide range of educational and community organizations. She has appeared on radio and television discussing criminal justice issues, including joint efforts between community groups and law enforcement authorities. She works with a variety of communities and associations of the courts and of the bar to enhance the professionalism of attorneys and promote the equal and fair administration of justice.

Judge Irizarry is former President of the Association of Judges of Hispanic Heritage. She is founder and co-chair of the Committee on the Bench and Bar of the Puerto Rican Bar Association. She was appointed by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts to the Craco Task Force's Committee on Continuing Legal Education and Committee on the Statement of Client's Rights and Code of Civility, as well as to the Criminal Law Curriculum Development Committees for the Judicial Seminars from 1997 through 2002. Judge Irizarry was an active member of the Jury Implementation Committee, the Employee of the Month Committee, and the Criminal Forum in Kings County Supreme Court.

Judge Irizarry was born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico. Her family migrated to New York City when she was an infant. She is a single parent of a fifteen year-old son.

[JohnnyZ]

She said that she was a feminist in Susan B. Anthony’s tradition.

THAT is good news! Hopefully she emulates the great pro-life suffragette in many ways!

[fieldmarshaldj]

I say tie her nomination to Estrada's. The 'Rats bork him, they bork her, and have to explain to their Hispanic constituents why. I think one reason why Senator Putzhead wants Irizarry nominated is to keep her from statewide office (and hence a threat to him). Once most pols make it to the Federal Judiciary, they never bother with running for office again.

[lowbridge]

Schumer, a leader in the Democratic effort, has complained Estrada has not been forthcoming about his views.

Dems: We Don’t Really Want Answers from Estrada.

Senate Democrats have complained that appeals-court nominee Miguel Estrada has failed to answer questions about his legal views, leaving senators without enough information to make a decision on whether or not he should be confirmed. In an effort to address those concerns, the White House last week invited any senator who has doubts about Estrada's views to send him written questions. The White House asked that questions be sent by the close of business last Friday, and pledged that Estrada would answer them by today. "He would answer the questions forthrightly, appropriately, and in a manner consistent with the traditional practice and obligations of judicial nominees, as he has before," wrote White House counsel Alberto Gonzales in a letter to all 100 senators.

So far, the administration has not received any questions from any senators,

None of those senators — or any other Democrat, for that matter — submitted questions to Estrada.