Joe Biden 'to Nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson as First Black Woman on Supreme Court'
© Andrew Harnik
Subscribe
During his presidential campaign in 2020, the Democrat pledged to appoint the first black female justice. His statement raised eyebrows among Republicans as well members of the public. A recent opinion poll showed that 76 percent of respondents oppose Biden’s approach to choosing a new justice.
US President Joe Biden will nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the country’s Supreme Court, NBC reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
The Democrat president called her on Thursday night to offer her the job, the sources said, adding that on Friday POTUS and senior White House staff informed members of the administration of the decision on Friday morning.
If confirmed by the Senate, Mrs Jackson, who works as the circuit judge on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, will become the first black woman to serve in the highest court.
She will also be the second-youngest justice on the court after Amy Coney Barrett, 50, who was nominated by Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump.
Brown Jackson is a graduate of Harvard Law School and was nominated to the District Court just eight months ago and has been in her present job since July, but she served eights years as a federal trial judge in Washington.
She will also be the second-youngest justice on the court after Amy Coney Barrett, 50, who was nominated by Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump.
Brown Jackson is a graduate of Harvard Law School and was nominated to the District Court just eight months ago and has been in her present job since July, but she served eights years as a federal trial judge in Washington.
Before this post she served as Vice-Chair of the US Sentencing Commission, helping to reduce the recommended penalties for non-violent drug offenders, and before that she spent seven years in private practice as well as working as a public defender in Washington, representing individuals who could not afford a lawyer.
She was involved in one notable case, where she defended a detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention camp, set up by US authorities in the wake up of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Brown argued that the individual should not be held without charge or trial.
According to US media, as a judge she has a record of rulings on controversial topics, such as abortion, gun rights or freedom of religion. Recently she was on a panel that rejected efforts by former US president Donald Trump to block National Archives from giving up documents dated during his tenure in the White House to the US House Select Committee. The panel is investigating whether the Trump administration had any role in the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.
Ketanji Brown Jackson will replace Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer, who announced his retirement last month. The US Supreme Court rules on some of the most controversial and publicised cases and has the final say in disputes between states and the federal government. For example, in recent years it ruled on gay marriage and Trump's travel ban on Muslim countries.
Biden’s pledge to appoint the first black female justice has raised eyebrows among Republicans as well as members of the public. An ABC News/Ipsos survey conducted in January showed that respondents want the president to consider all potential candidates. Only 23 percent want him to go on with his pledge and choose a candidate based solely on her colour. Biden in his turn pledged not to compromise on quality when picking candidates.
According to US media, as a judge she has a record of rulings on controversial topics, such as abortion, gun rights or freedom of religion. Recently she was on a panel that rejected efforts by former US president Donald Trump to block National Archives from giving up documents dated during his tenure in the White House to the US House Select Committee. The panel is investigating whether the Trump administration had any role in the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.
Ketanji Brown Jackson will replace Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer, who announced his retirement last month. The US Supreme Court rules on some of the most controversial and publicised cases and has the final say in disputes between states and the federal government. For example, in recent years it ruled on gay marriage and Trump's travel ban on Muslim countries.
Biden’s pledge to appoint the first black female justice has raised eyebrows among Republicans as well as members of the public. An ABC News/Ipsos survey conducted in January showed that respondents want the president to consider all potential candidates. Only 23 percent want him to go on with his pledge and choose a candidate based solely on her colour. Biden in his turn pledged not to compromise on quality when picking candidates.
