University of Colorado and University of Denver law school professors are among the 1,700-plus law school profs across the country who signed a letter published in the New York Times Wednesday urging the U.S. Senate not to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
The six-paragraph letter cites the importance of judicial temperament as a key quality for a judge. It says Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament during a Sept. 27 Senate hearing. The hearing was prompted after allegations of sexual misconduct against the judge by Professor Christine Ford, who testified the same day prior to Kavanaugh’s hearing.
The letter says those who signed it believe "that he did not display the impartiality and judicial temperament requisite to sit on the highest court of our land."
“Instead of trying to sort out with reason and care the allegations that were raised, Judge Kavanaugh responded in an intemperate, inflammatory and partial manner, as he interrupted and, at times, was discourteous to senators,” the letter says.
The letter is scheduled to be presented to the U.S. Senate on Thursday. The Washington Post reported the same day the Senate was reviewing an FBI report on Kavanaugh, with Republican senators supportive of Kavanaugh's confirmation suggesting the investigation didn’t find anything corroborating the allegations. The FBI investigation was conducted after last week's testimony to review additional allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh.
At least 15 Colorado Law professors signed the letter including Violeta Chapin, Sean M. Helle, Jennifer S. Hendricks and Pierre Schlag. Seventeen DU Sturm College of Law profs signed the letter, including Alan K. Chen, Nicole B. Godfrey, Kristen Uhl Hulse, Nancy Leong, Tom I. Romero II, Laura Rovner, Don C. Smith and Robin Walker Sterling.
Colorado's senators appear to be split on Kavanaugh's confirmation. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, already publicly said he wouldn't vote to confirm Kavanaugh, while Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner has previously lauded the judge's qualifications.
