Charles Pickering Nomination (Archive)
Nomination Withdrawn December 2004
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
President Bush sidestepped the confirmation process and recess appointed Pickering to the Fifth Circuit on January 16, 2004. Prior to that, the Senate defeated his confirmation twice - once in the Judiciary Committee and then again in October 2003, when the Senate voted against invoking cloture on his confirmation.
Senators who voted to defeat Charles Pickering's confirmation cited the troubling nature of his record, including his extreme views on critical civil rights, women's rights, and constitutional issues. His immoderate positions and tendency toward conservative judicial activism disqualify him from elevation to any federal court of appeal, much less the important Fifth Circuit, which has the largest percentage of African Americans and Hispanics of any federal circuit court in the country.
Pickering retired December 8th, shortly before his term as a recess appointee was due to expire, and requested not to be renominated.
- Civil Rights Coalition Outraged by Biased Reporting of "60 Minutes" Reporter - Press Release - 3/29/2004
- Pickering Piece on March 28, 2004 "60 Minutes" Episode - Press Release - 3/3/2004
- President Invites Judges Controversy as New Session Begins - Feature Story - 1/21/04
- Civil Rights Coalition Calls Bush's Appointment of Pickering Hypocritical - Press Release - 1/16/2004
- Confirmation of Pickering Defeated - Feature Story - 10/31/2003
- Charles Pickering's Record, Not Trent Lott's Pressure, Is the Issue - Press Release - 10/30/2003
- Civil Rights Coalition Applauds Senators for Defeating Pickering's Confirmation - Press Release - 10/30/2003
- Oppose the Confirmation of Charles Pickering - Advocacy Letter - 10/29/2003
- Senate Committee Approves Pickering in Party-Line Vote - Feature Story - 10/3/2003
- Senate Committee to Vote on Pickering - Again - Feature Story - 9/30/2003
- Oppose Confirmation of Charles Pickering - Advocacy Letter - 9/24/2003
- Charles Pickering Nomination Fact Sheet - 3/1/2003
- LCCR Applauds Senate Judiciary Committee's Rejection of Pickering Nomination - Press Release - 3/14/2002
- Pickering Nomination Defeated - Feature Story - 3/14/2002
- Pickering Vote Delayed Again - Feature Story - 3/8/2002
- Community Opposition To Pickering Confirmation Intensifies - Press Release - 3/6/2002
- Opposition to Pickering Mounts After Second Hearing - Feature Story - 2/20/2002
- Second Hearing on Controversial Nominee Focuses on Civil Rights - Feature Story - 2/8/2002
- CBC Joins in Opposition to Pickering - Feature Story - 2/7/2002
- Momentum Builds Against Pickering - Feature Story - 2/6/2002
- Statement of Wade Henderson on the Pickering Nomination - 1/24/2002
- LCCR Opposes Pickering Nomination to Fifth Circuit- Serious Concerns About Nominee's Civil Rights Record - Press Release - 1/24/2002
- Civil Rights Organizations Come Together to Oppose Pickering Nomination - Feature Story - 1/24/2002
- Community Leaders Speak Out Against Pickering
