January 25, 2010

Fuel for the Gableman fire

AP via USA Today:
A racially charged television ad run by Justice Michael Gableman during his 2008 campaign "casts serious doubt" on his ability to treat black criminal defendants fairly, Wisconsin's top public defender said.

Wisconsin Public Defender Nicholas Chiarkas sent a letter to members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court last week asking them to denounce the ad run by Gableman during his successful 2008 campaign for the seat.
That oughta stir things up.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Imperfect" and "shorthand" are good descriptors of his intellectual depth.

illusory tenant said...

Now now. "Imperfect" is as close he's come to repentance.

The Sconz said...

Here's the thing. We all know the GOP has used race to its advantage in politics, often in very subtle ways. However, this is the law we're talking about. There's no proof that Gableman's ad was racially charged –– it's just the gut response of a defense attorney who knows who important race remains in the American legal system.

It doesn't seem plausible that the other judges could look at the video and say "absolutely, this is proof that Michael Gableman is biased against blacks."

illusory tenant said...

It's certainly a questionable play, politically. And this, from the AP report, is inaccurate, at best:

"Lawyers have asked Gableman to withdraw from a string of cases involving criminal defendants ... So far, though, they have shied away from raising the issue of race directly."

This leaves an impression that the lawyers are somehow laying in wait to play the "race card," which I do not believe to be the case. There are more fundamental due process concerns at issue here and it's important that Mr. Chiarkas's comments -- as sympathetic as we may be with them -- aren't used to dilute them.

Grant said...

There's no proof that Gableman's ad was racially charged

Aristotle weeps.

illusory tenant said...

It's easy enough to defend: Gableman's team couldn't locate a white subject whose crimes were appropriately heinous.

Grant said...

If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit.