The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, voting along party lines last Thursday, rejected Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen for a federal appeals court seat.
This represents the second major defeat in the administration’s attempts to put conservative judicial activists in key judgeships.
Owen’s nomination to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans was defeated on a 10-9 vote. One of the many human and civil rights groups that vigorously opposed the nomination was the Texas NAACP.

In a recent letter to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe said, “There are a number of conservative Judges as well as a number of Judges who are either Republican or Democrat that we think would be appropriate nominees for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. However, Justice Owen is not one of them. Civil Rights are already under attack in our Circuit…as a result, a Justice with the credentials of Justice Owen would be very harmful to the so-called little people and minorities who reside in the Fifth Circuit.”

Regarding the vote, Daschle said, “I don’t think it was done with any ill will. The message is this: We will confirm qualified judges. Don’t send us unqualified people.”
The same committee last March by an identical party-line vote, rejected the appeals court nomination of U.S. District Judge Charles Pickering of Mississippi, after women’s, civil rights and liberal groups mounted a campaign against him.
Pickering also was nominated for the 5th Circuit, which covers Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana.