PA Coalition Launches to Focus on Federal Courts; Sotomayor

Member Group : PA Judicial Network

Contact: Athan Koutsiouroumbas – [email protected]

Pennsylvania – PA Coalition Launches to Focus on Federal Courts; Sotomayor
Group to address impact of Federal judicial appointments on Pennsylvanians

June 8, 2009

Harrisburg, PA: With the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Judicial Network announced its launch today to ensure individuals with integrity, judicial restraint and a devotion to the Constitution are appointed to the Federal Courts.

"More often then not, citizens learn about Federal Court nominees through the national news," said Pennsylvania Judicial Network spokesperson Athan Koutsiouroumbas, "It is difficult for families in Pennsylvania to learn how a Federal judicial appointment can impact their daily life right here at home."

"Through a Pennsylvania-based effort, our coalition will educate fellow citizens on the potential effect Federal Court appointments may have on the Keystone State," continued Koutsiouroumbas.

"The United States Senate must do a thorough examination of Judge Sotomayor’s judicial record," said former United States Senator Rick Santorum, "Why does Judge Sotomayor have such a high reversal rate by the Supreme Court? Questions like this must be addressed by Senators Specter and Casey."

"Judges are supposed to read and interpret the law, not write the law," said former District Attorney and Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce L. Castor, Jr., "Judge Sotomayor’s out-of-court statements about her judicial philosophy, including her claim that the appeals court is ‘where policy is made’ are cause for serious concern for those enforcing the law or running a courthouse."

"Judge Sotomayor is an example of the kind of judicial elitism that places judges above the law and the Constitution. That’s not the way the Framers designed our system," said Colin Hanna, President of Let Freedom Ring.
"Judge Sotomayor, and the panel she sat with during the New Haven Firefighters case that is being reviewed by the US Supreme Court, created a judicially imposed framework for municipalities to follow where the hiring of firefighters is to be premised on qualifications other than merit," said coalition member Timothy Wachter, Esq., "Decisions of this nature clearly run against common sense and hinder the ability of local governments to hire firefighters who are clearly qualified. This is just one example of the judicial activism by Judge Sotomayor that should be concerning to all Americans."

The initial coalition members include:

The Honorable Rick Santorum
-Former United States Senator

The Honorable Bruce L. Castor, Jr.
-Commissioner, County of Montgomery

Robert Gleason
-Chairman, Republican Party of Pennsylvania

Colin A. Hanna
-President, Let Freedom Ring

Thomas J. Shaheen
-Pennsylvania Family Council

Charlene Bashore
-Legislative/PAC Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

Judd Serotta, Esq.
-Attorney, Philadelphia County

David J. Porter, Esq.
-Attorney, Allegheny County

Timothy Wachter, Esq.
-Attorney, Erie County

The Honorable Paul Clymer
-Pennsylvania General Assembly

The Pennsylvania Judicial Network (PJN) is a coalition of citizens joined together to educate Pennsylvanians on the Federal Courts and its nominees. In partnership with the Judicial Confirmation Network (www.judicialnetwork.com), the PCN works to ensure that the confirmation process for all judicial nominees is fair and that every nominee sent to the full Senate receives an up or down vote.

For additional information about Sotomayor, visit www.aboutsoniasotomayor.com

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The Judicial Confirmation Network
PO Box 3141
Manassas, VA 20108