Foolishness alert! Senator Marco Rubio has withdrawn his support for William Thomas, a Miami black gay judge nominated for a federal judiciary position, in effect keeping him from receiving a confirmation vote.
On Monday Rubio announced he'd be pulling his support for Thomas, a Miami-Dade circuit judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, citing concerns about his rulings in two criminal cases. In order to be confirmed, a nominee must have the endorsement of both senators from their home state.
So what about the rulings in question? The Advocate reports:
"Rubio said he was concerned that Thomas gave too light a sentence to a motorist who killed a bicyclist in a hit-and-run accident, but the lead prosecutor in that case said Thomas acted fairly and within the law. The driver was suspected of being intoxicated at the time, but since he did not turn himself in until the next day, his blood-alcohol level could not be measured, so there were limits on the charges that could be brought against him.
The senator also took issue with Thomas’s actions in a rape-murder case. Thomas ruled against admitting a confession as evidence in the case, saying two of the five defendants had not been read their rights properly or had not understood the information, and an appellate court agreed with part of his ruling. All five eventually either entered guilty pleas or were convicted."
Yolanda Strader, president of a Miami association for black lawyers, has accused Rubio of playing politics, and is initiating a social media campaign in support of Thomas. Her group may also start an online petition to help move his nomination forward.
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