Fourteen U Of I Professors Sign Letter Opposing Kavanaugh Nomination

Fourteen professors or instructors from the University of Illinois College of Law signed a letter opposing Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the US Supreme Court.

Lesley Wexler is one of more than 2400 law professors across the country to sign the letter published in the New York Times and given to US Senators, which says Kavanaugh lacks the “impartiality and judicial temperament” to be a Supreme Court Justice.

Wexler said that she didn’t oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination when it was first announced, but she said his comments during the second hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, "did not in any way reflect the neutrality and thoughtfulness that we expect of all our judges, and particularly of judges who would sit on the Supreme Court.”

She said she found Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when both were in high school in 1982, to be a more credible witness than Kavanaugh.

Wexler said hearing both Ford and Kavanaugh testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee was enough to sway her against his nomination.

“I’m not sure that I think a criminal standard of preponderance of the evidence would lead me to convict Kavanaugh," Wexler said, "but I also don’t think that’s the relevant standard for a confirmation hearing.”

The other 13 U of I law professors and instructors to sign the letter opposing Kavanaugh's nomination are: Kenworthey Bilz, Yulanda Curtis, Melissa Frydman, Paul Heald, Eric Johnson, Faye Jones, Robert Lawless, Richard Ross, Jacqueline Ross, Arden Rowell, Kari Sanderson, Suja Thomas, and Thomas Ulen.

The Senate voted to end debate on the Kavanaugh nomination Friday morning by a vote of 51-49. They are expected to take a final vote on his nomination Saturday.