Sen. Tom Cotton, R- Ark., questioned Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the Senate Judiciary Committee continued its Supreme Court confirmation hearings March 22.
Cotton asked pointed questions on Jackson’s views on crime and law enforcement, to which Jackson reminded him laws and sentencing guidelines are set by legislators rather than judges. Cotton pointed to one particular case that Jackson oversaw in which she sentenced a person to 20 years for crimes related to drug trafficking. He criticized her decision to later reduce the sentence. Jackson said it was in response to new laws written by Congress.
“One of the things that Congress says to judges, is care about unwarranted sentencing disparity. Care about the fact that the person your sentencing is being treated differently than someone else who committed the same crime,” she said. “So what I determined under those circumstances is I would resentence [the defendant] to the penalty Congress had decided was appropriate to the crime he committed as of the time of his motion.”
Jackson was nominated by President Joe Biden in February to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman on the high court. After opening statements from Jackson, her colleagues and the senators March 21, senators will spend two days questioning Jackson at length about her rulings and judicial philosophy. On the final day of the hearings March 24, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from friends and colleagues of Jackson about her temperament and approach to the law.
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