Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley pressed Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on allegedly “apologizing” to a child pornography offender at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing.
Hawley raised the case United States v. Hawkins, where Jackson sentenced an 18-year-old child porn offender 3 months imprisonment, despite sentencing guidelines recommending up to 10 years. He read a transcript in which Jackson allegedly told the convict there is “no reason to think” that he is a pedophile.
“Didn’t you apologize to him? And I just got to tell you, I can’t quite figure this out”, Hawley said. “You said to him, ‘This is a truly difficult situation. I appreciate that your family’s in the audience. I feel so sorry for them, and for you and the anguish this has caused all of you. I feel terrible about the collateral consequences of this conviction.’ And then you go on to say ‘sex offenders are truly shunned in our society.’ I’m just trying to figure out, judge, is he the victim here?” Read more…