A group of University of Wisconsin law professors signed a petition urging the Senate not to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as Supreme Court justice just days before his confirmation.
Eighteen UW professors — among 2,400 law professors across the nation — signed the petition against Kavanaugh’s nomination. The petition was published in the New York Times as an opinion article a day before it was presented to the Senate Thursday.
According to Channel 3000, UW officials said the professors chose to sign the petition as individuals and not in representation of the university.
The petition said Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any other court — especially for the highest court in the U.S.
Kavanaugh was confirmed as the newest Supreme Court justice in a 50–48 vote Saturday after a polarizing national debate. Before his nomination to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump, Kavanaugh served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit for more than 12 years.
Before his confirmation, UW law professor Heinz Klug said the confirmation would be likely.
Still, Klug said Kavanaugh is unfit to serve as Supreme Court justice.
“It’s not a question of a better candidate,” said Klug, “It’s just purely about the demeanor of this particular candidate.”
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Distinguished clinical professor of law Martha Gaines said after she heard the news that Kavanaugh was confirmed she was concerned but not surprised.
“Once he made it clear that he had no sense of judicial restraint and was willing to make clear that the depths of his partisanship and his inability to keep his cool under fire, he disqualified himself quite significantly,” Gaines said.
