ALG Launches Ad in Wisconsin Urging Russ Feingold to Reconsider Support of Robert Chatigny for 2nd Circuit Court

View at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ9ters4xcY

Download at http://washingtonalert.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Justic-for-Whom-II-Feingold-ALG1410.wmv

September 3rd, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today announced that his organization would be running a 60-second commercial in Wisconsin urging Senator Russ Feingold to reconsider his support of the nomination of Judge Robert Chatigny to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Robert Chatigny is a man who thought that a confessed rapist, serial killer of eight young women aged 14 to 25, Michael Ross, ‘never should have been convicted’, and yet, Russ Feingold voted for him out of committee,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the ad was to alert Wisconsinites of Chatigny’s controversial actions defending convicted rapist and serial murderer, Michael Ross, and to advise they tell Feingold to urge Obama not to renominate him. The ad is set to begin broadcasting on Monday.

Senate Republicans blocked consideration of Chatigny, sending the nomination back to Obama. Speculation in the nation’s capital is that Obama intends to renominate Chatigny.

Chatigny’s contentious remarks were made at a last-minute hearing in 2005 he had convened wherein he granted a stay of execution for Ross. In that hearing, Chatigny chastised Ross’ attorney, T.R. Paulding, and threatened to have his law license pulled for not more vigorously pursuing Ross’ defense.

Although the hearing was supposed to be examining Ross’ competence to waive his right to appeal, Chatigny opined, “looking at the record in a light most favorable to Mr. Ross, he never should have been convicted. Or if convicted, he never should have been sentenced to death because his sexual sadism, which was found by every single person who looked at him, is clearly a mitigating factor.”

In a letter to the U.S. Senate, Wilson wrote, “Ross had confessed to all eight rape-murders. Of course he should have been convicted. There was no question of his malice and cruelty, either, and yet for Chatigny, this was a mitigating factor that should have blocked the death penalty sentence. That is outrageous enough.”
Wilson’s letter continued, “But if there was any doubt as to Chatigny’s bias and personal interest in this case, the hearing Chatigny was presiding over had nothing to do with sentencing. It had to do with forcing Ross’ attorney to pursue a claim that Ross was not competent to waive his right to appeal the sentence.”
The letter closed, “Chatigny clearly wanted to keep Ross in the system. His bias exhibited in this case calls into question his temperament and impartiality as a judge, and should disqualify him. This nomination should be withdrawn.”

Wilson also cited that Chatigny’s “long history of acting sympathetically toward sex offenders.”As reported by the Washington Times, “[i]n 12 child-pornography cases, Judge Chatigny imposed a sentence either at or more lenient than the recommended minimum - with most downward departures involving sentences less than half as long.”

“In 2000, Chatigny even overturned Connecticut’s sex offender registry law,” Wilson noted.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to report Judge Chatigny to floor on June 10th for a full Senate vote.
Wilson concluded, “Senator Russ Feingold may have voted for Chatigny, but now is the time for him to reconsider his support. He should urge Obama not to renominate this judge, who is nothing more than an apologist for sex offenders. It’s his claim to fame, and is why Obama has attempted to promote him. Chatigny’s conduct is so deeply disturbing to the American people that Feingold has an obligation to defeat this offensive nomination.”

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