Richard Blumenthal

“ Hopefully too it will make the court think more like America. We will never know in detail all of the challenges and obstacles that you’ve overcome to be here today, but we know for sure that you will bring an important perspective, in fact a unique perspective to a court that deeply needs it.
Representation matters for the legitimacy and credibility of our judicial system. Judges are the face and voice of justice. People walking into your courtroom or any other in this country look to the human being, not just to the robes. ”

“ You’ve had a long career already as a distinguished jurist, in fact, you would bring more experience as a trial judge than any current justice on the Supreme Court.
Now I’d like to address directly the importance of your work as a public defender. I was a prosecutor in law enforcement for a while, four years as U.S. attorney and twenty years as Connecticut’s attorney general, and as a prosecutor I know the system works best when there are good lawyers on both side. My worst nightmare as a prosecutor was a defendant representing himself. ”

“ You will be the first public defender on the court. You understand our justice system uniquely through the eyes of people who couldn’t afford a lawyer. They couldn’t afford their own lawyer, and you advocated for them. ”

“ The political stunts themselves, driven by opportunism, blaze a path that can be followed by more competent challenges just as the dictatorial instincts and actions of this President can be followed by more effective would-be tyrants intent on destroying our Republic. ”

“ They are unproven and unprovable. They’re simply false. One of the first lessons that you learn as a prosecutor is never to promise a jury evidence that you don't have. There is simply no evidence to support these unfounded attacks. ”

“ Yet, today, we must be mindful of the threat to our democracy that we face down and come together on a bipartisan basis, but silence is never excusable in the face of lawlessness at the very top of our political structure. ”

“ Too often, our courts are isolated, seemingly sterile marble halls lacking emotional intelligence for a sensitivity to the impact they have on people, a fact that you clearly and dramatically understand. ”

“ You are a proven unifier and consensus builder, someone who can build bridges among colleagues, even adversaries. Not surprisingly, you have been confirmed on a bipartisan basis three times by the Senate. ”

“ And you’ve advocated for defendants standing accused of serious crimes as well as sentencing defendants who have been convicted of such crimes. You are an immensely devoted parent who has achieved eye popping professional distinction. ”