Prospective Members of our Presiding Panel:

Some of the world's most prominent government whistleblowers and human rights activists will gather during the week of May 11-18, 2008 in Washington, D. C. to lobby Congress and alert the public to the need to support whistleblower protection. Part of this momentous occasion will be a historical, Citizens' Forum On Judicial Accountability.

• The Honorable John Conyers, Jr., Chairman – House Judiciary Committee;
  
• The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, U.S. Congressman;
  
• The Honorable Ron Paul, U.S. Congressman;
  
• Barbara J. Rothstein* - Director, Federal Judicial Center;
  
• The Honorable Sarah Evans Barker* – President, Federal Judges Association;
  
• The Honorable Eileen Olds – President, American Judges Association;
  
• James C. Duff* – Director, Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts;
  
• Mary Campbell McQueen – President and CEO, National Center for State Courts;
  
• Attorney Jack D. Locrridge – Exec. Director, The Federal Bar Association;
  
• Janet Jackson* – Director, American Bar Association;
  
• The Honorable Edwin Meese III – Distinguished Fellow, The Heritage Foundation;
  
• Attorney John Crump – Exec. Director, National Bar Association;
  
• Attorney Heidi Boghosian – Exec. Director, National Lawyers Guild;
  
• Attorney Dominic Gentile* - Gentile v. State Bar of Nevada , 501 U.S. 1030 (1991);
  
• Marcel Reid – President, D. C. ACORN;
  
• Professor Carl Bogus* – Author, “Culture of Quiescence”;
  
• F. Lee Bailey;
  
• Attorney Michael Tigar* – Attorney for former attorney Lynne F. Stewart;
  
• Matthew Fogg, National President – CARCLE;
  
• Representative(s) of:
  
• i. No FEAR Coalition*
  
• ii. Government Accountability Project
  
• iii. National Whistleblower Center
  
• iv. Make It Safe Coalition;
  
• Cynthia Gray, Director* – Center for Judicial Ethics, American Judicature Society;
  
• Bill Buzenberg* – Exec. Director, Center for Public Integrity
  
• Judge Andrew P. Napolitano – Author, “Constitutional Chaos” and “The Constitution in Exile”;
  
• PBS Anchor Bill Moyers;
  
• Attorney Beth Slavet – former Chair, U.S. Merit System Protection Board
  
• New York Time’s columnist Adam Liptak;
  
• Leticia Linn, Journalist – Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression;
  
• Nancy Boswell, President and CEO – Transparency International USA;
  
• Johannes F. Linn, Senior Fellow* – Brookings Institution and Exec. Director of the Wolfensohn Center for Development;
  
• Larry Cox, Exec. Director – Amnesty International USA;
  
• Jim Turner, Exec. Director – HALT (Help Abolish Legal Tyranny)
  
• John J Oliver, Jr. – CEO and Publisher, Washington Afro;
  
• Attorney Michael Brown – Fox News Political Commentator

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Another Panel, where I'm sure she doesn't need nor deserve to be on.

Political bias said to affect judicial choices

From VA Pilot click here to read the story.

The two open seats in Chesapeake Circuit Court have prompted the most maneuvering, according to several legislators.

Republican legislators favor prominent Chesapeake defense lawyer John Brown and city Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Judge Rufus A. Banks Jr., according to legislators close to the negotiations.

Several Democratic lawmakers have said they can support Brown, but not Banks, according to sources.

Initially they preferred Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Eileen Olds, but more recently substituted Norfolk Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Marjorie A. Arrington. Arrington confirmed her interest in the post last week.

Now see I would be happy if Olds was sent to Circuit court. That way every thing she does would be recorded and open to the public. I bet she doesn't want this post. Because her actions would be open to all to see. She wouldn't be able to hide behind close doors.

Politics' role in selecting judges condemned, defended

Virginia remains the only state in the nation in which the legislature - specifically the majority party - wields all the power in the judicial selection process.

That has made appointing judges a perk and an opportunity for patronage.

According to state campaign finance records, some judges appointed to the local trial courts - or their family members - made hefty campaign contributions to the legislators who picked them. Most donations occurred in the years just prior to their nominations.

(Read Entire Story)