[ORLANDO] – Today Rep. Val Demings (FL-10) said the following.
“I am proud to announce that our fellow Floridian, Ketanji Brown Jackson, has just been confirmed by Democrats and Republicans in the Senate as the newest Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. As a former 27-year law enforcement officer and Chief of Police, I have been extraordinarily impressed by Justice Jackson’s devotion to the Constitution, the law, and our public safety. She was endorsed by America’s largest law enforcement organizations because they know that she has a steadfast record of protecting the safety, security, and constitutional rights of every American.
“The Supreme Court matters. Soon, the Court will decide cases critical to protect our most fundamental constitutional rights. America should breathe easier knowing that Justice Jackson has been called to serve as a guardian of our sacred freedoms.”
Confirmation Support
Fraternal Order of Police
“From our analysis of Judge Jackson’s record and some of her cases, we believe she has considered the facts and applied the law consistently and fairly on a range of issues. There is little doubt that she has the temperament, intellect, legal experience, and family background to have earned this appointment. We are reassured that, should she be confirmed. She would approach her future cases with an open mind. Plus, treat issues related to law enforcement fairly and justly.” – Fraternal Order of Police
International Association of Chiefs of Police
“[W]hen the IACP chooses to support an individual, we do not take it lightly, and take into careful consideration their background, experience, and previous opinions issued as they relate to law enforcement and criminal justice issues… During her time as a judge, she has displayed her dedication to ensuring that our communities are safe and that the interests of justice are served. We believe that Judge Jackson’s years of experience have shown she has the temperament and qualifications to serve as the next Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The IACP urges the Judiciary Committee, and the members of the United States Senate, to confirm Judge Jackson’s nomination.” – The International Association of Chiefs of Police
63 top law enforcement officials
“As members of the law enforcement community, we write in recognition of Judge Jackson’s strong, effective and long-standing role in criminal justice issues… Judge Jackson comes from a law enforcement family. Such direct familiarity with the experiences and challenges of law enforcement enriches her understanding of criminal justice issues… In sum, as law enforcement leaders, we offer our recognition of Judge Jackson’s strong qualifications to serve the nation’s highest court and urge her historic confirmation to proceed without delay.” – Statement from 63 top law enforcement officials
Ret. Judge Thomas R. Griffith
“Judge Jackson has a demonstrated record of excellence. And, I believe, based upon her work as a trial judge when I served on the Court of Appeals, that she will adjudicate based on the facts and the law and not as a partisan.” – Judge Thomas R. Griffith, a retired Bush appointee to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Fourth Circuit Judge Michael Luttig
“Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is eminently qualified to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Indeed, she is as highly credentialed and experienced in the law as any nominee in history… Republicans, in particular, should vote to confirm Judge Jackson.” – Former George H.W. Bush-appointed Fourth Circuit Judge Michael Luttig
Republican lawyer William Burck
“I strongly support Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court. I have known Judge Jackson since we clerked for different justices during the 1999-2000 Supreme Court term… As a Republican, I hope Judge Jackson will garner substantial bipartisan support because she deserves to be judged on her personal merits which overwhelmingly weigh in favor of confirmation. No serious person can question her qualifications to the Court and to my mind her judicial philosophy is well within the mainstream.” – Prominent Republican lawyer William Burck
Retired Judge Ann Claire Williams
“The question we kept asking ourselves: How does one human being do so much, so extraordinarily well?” – retired Judge Ann Claire Williams.
American Bar Association Standing Committee
“We heard consistently from not only defense counsel but prosecutors how unbiased Judge Jackson is. We heard things like ‘doing things by the books,’” – D. Jean Veta, American Bar Association Standing Committee.
University of Virginia School of Law
“Her background is absolutely extraordinary and her demonstration and mastery of the law is second to none. My hope is that the partisan considerations that may have affected some in the questioning of Judge Jackson will be set aside and that members of this committee, out of their love for the country and its people and the future of the court, will do what’s right.” – Wade Henderson, president of the nonprofit Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
“It is absolutely my view that she does not get outside her lane. She, I think, comes down in cases on both sides, depending on what she sees in the facts and how she applies precedents. I think she has been assiduous and conscientious.” – Risa Goluboff, dean of the University of Virginia School of Law
Former United States Attorneys
“Many of us and our colleagues have interacted with Judge Jackson. We have found her to possess incredible intellect, excellent legal ability, and a commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards. Throughout her career, she has promoted compassion, dignity, and respect for all parties. As demonstrated by her eight years on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Jackson is a fair and impartial jurist. She has authored more than 560 judicial decisions, adjudicating her fair share of complex legal questions in ways that have significantly advanced the legal profession and our understanding of principles enshrined in the Constitution. Her decisions are invariably well-reasoned and thoughtful, and she is singularly prepared to assume the role of appellate jurist.” – Letter by former United States Attorneys
Washington Post Editorial Board
“Judge Jackson by all accounts possesses the qualities essential in a Supreme Court justice. A devotion to the rule of law; a commitment to judicial independence; an ability and willingness to collaborate with colleagues whose views and philosophies differ from her own. She also appears to be a keen and careful legal thinker. A graduate of Harvard and Harvard Law School. She was an editor of the law review and went on to clerk for Justice Stephen G. Breyer, whom Mr. Biden has chosen her to replace. She put in eight years as a trial judge before ascending to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 2021.” – Washington Post Editorial Board
