If “justice delayed is justice denied,” then there is no justice in Colorado’s federal courts.
In the next few weeks, the U.S. Senate will have a fleeting chance to remedy this disgraceful situation by confirming three talented candidates nominated by President Bush for vacancies in our U.S. District Court. We urge the Senate, and Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, to put election- year politics aside and confirm Christine Arguello, Gregory Goldberg and Philip Brimmer.
Don’t blame Colorado’s tiny band of four full-time federal judges for the gridlock in our courts. Blame a long-standing political deadlock in Washington that has kept three benches unoccupied.
Because the U.S. Constitution guarantees all defendants “a speedy and public trial,” the criminal docket inevitably takes precedence. That means that civil matters — many of them immensely complicated cases involving millions of dollars and potentially thousands of jobs — languish on the back burner.
It is long past time to give Coloradans the “equal justice under law” to which we are entitled.
Sen. Salazar took two steps in that direction this week by sending “blue slips” to the Senate Judiciary Committee asking them to schedule hearings for Arguello and Goldberg. But unless Salazar takes the final step of endorsing Brimmer, a Republican backed by Sen. Wayne Allard (who also backs Arguello and Goldberg), all three nominations could be stalled.
With a new president and a new Colorado senator assured next January, a delay now means it would be at least a year before any of the vacancies could be filled.
Salazar says he isn’t backing Brimmer because he wasn’t recommended by an advisory panel that Salazar assembled, which did approve Arguello and Goldberg. Too bad.
Brimmer is highly qualified, and is backed by Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter. Salazar should put the needs of Colorado first, and help Brimmer get an up-or-down vote from the Senate.
Traditionally, it’s the job of a state’s senior senator from the party of the president, which is Allard, to nominate judges. We don’t pretend to understand the Senate’s arcane ways, but we do think Allard should have at least an equal voice with Salazar in the process.
Brimmer, a highly regarded assistant U.S. attorney, received the American Bar Association’s highest rating of “well qualified.” Salazar’s nominees, Arguello and Goldberg, received a rating of “qualified.”
The Senate Judiciary committee at least owes Colorado the courtesy of giving these able candidates a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote.
Don’t deny justice to Colorado.
