Senate Floor: Jackson’s Sentences 34% Lighter Than Average; “As Trial Judge, One Criminal at a Time — As SCOTUS Justice, Criminals Nationwide”

On 4/5/2022, Republican senators delivered floor speeches opposing Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation, citing her sentencing record — 34% lighter than the national average and 25% lighter than her own court’s average. One senator drew the critical distinction: “As a trial judge, Judge Jackson could only give the benefit of the doubt to one criminal at a time. As a Supreme Court justice, she would be able to give the benefit to criminals nationwide.” Senators also cited her refusal to define “woman,” her school board’s CRT curriculum, and her overturned immigration ruling.

”Lucky” for Criminals, Unlucky for Victims

A senator laid out the sentencing data. “Across the board, Judge Jackson’s average sentences for criminals are 34 percent lighter than the national average for criminal cases, and 25 percent lighter than the average on her own old court, the DC District Court,” the senator said.

“You would be lucky if your case is assigned to Judge Jackson — if you’re a criminal. If you are the victim of a crime or anyone else seeking justice, you better hope your case got assigned somewhere else,” the senator continued.

The senator then made the argument about scale. “As a trial judge, Judge Jackson could only give the benefit of the doubt to one criminal at a time. As a Supreme Court justice, she would be able to give the benefit to criminals nationwide in all cases,” the senator said.

”Every Judge Has Hidden Agendas”

A senator cited Jackson’s own writings. “She has written, and I’m quoting her — these are her words — that ‘every judge has personal hidden agendas’ that influence the cases they decide,” the senator said.

“She serves on the board of a K-12 school that teaches kindergartners that they can choose their own sex and teaches them about so-called white privilege,” the senator continued. “And she has praised the now-discredited 1619 Project and has stated that judges should consider critical race theory in sentencing criminal defendants.”

Blackburn: “Beholden to the Radical Left”

Senator Blackburn connected Jackson’s refusal to define “woman” to the broader cultural agenda. “The fact that she couldn’t or wouldn’t answer that question speaks volumes,” Blackburn said. “It tells me that Judge Jackson is beholden to the radical left that is teaching our children that they can choose their own sex.”

Blackburn listed the cultural cascade since the hearing. “Disney has eliminated saying ‘boys and girls.’ The State Department announced you can select X as a gender on your passport. The TSA will implement gender-neutral security screenings,” Blackburn said. “The left has slowly but surely stripped words of their meaning in an attempt to eliminate dissent. And the latest victim is the word ‘woman.’”

Immigration Ruling Overturned

A senator revisited Jackson’s overturned immigration ruling where she struck down DHS’s use of expedited removal authority. “The law passed by Congress granted DHS ‘sole and unreviewable’ discretion. But Judge Jackson inserted herself to strike down what she called a ‘terrible proposal,’” the senator said.

“The DC Circuit — no hotbed of conservative activism — reversed her and noted ‘there could hardly be a more definitive expression of congressional intent’ than the clear language of the statute she disregarded,” the senator said. “She had an anti-Trump op-ed to write in the form of a judicial opinion as part of her audition for the political left.”

Identical Filings in Gitmo Cases

A senator noted Jackson’s Guantanamo work. “In three of the four cases, her filings were identical — word for word, comma for comma. She alleged identical facts and legal arguments. The only difference was the swapped name and case numbers,” the senator said.

Democrats’ Conduct During Hearings

A senator pushed back on Democrats’ criticism of Republican questioning. “You have repeatedly dressed down my Republican colleagues and me for asking Judge Jackson tough questions. You called our questions ‘vile,’ ‘baseless,’ and imputed dishonorable motives to us,” the senator said.

“My Democrat colleagues claimed the probation reports justified her decisions, so we asked to see them. It was a reasonable request, but you responded by insinuating that we wanted to hurt children,” the senator added.

Key Takeaways

• Jackson’s sentences were 34% lighter than the national average and 25% lighter than her own court — meaning criminals were “lucky” to draw her courtroom.
• As a Supreme Court justice, she would extend that benefit “to criminals nationwide” rather than one at a time.
• Jackson had written that “every judge has personal hidden agendas” that influence their decisions.
• Her school board taught kindergartners about choosing their sex; she praised the 1619 Project; and she refused to define “woman.”
• The DC Circuit reversed her immigration ruling, noting “there could hardly be a more definitive expression of congressional intent” than the statute she disregarded.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

• Her sentences are 34% lighter than the national average. You’d be lucky if your case is assigned to Jackson — if you’re a criminal.
• As a trial judge, one criminal at a time. As a Supreme Court justice, criminals nationwide in all cases.
• She has written that every judge has personal hidden agendas that influence the cases they decide.
• The left has stripped words of their meaning. The latest victim is the word woman.
• There could hardly be a more definitive expression of congressional intent than the statute she disregarded.
• She had an anti-Trump op-ed to write in the form of a judicial opinion as part of her audition.

Full transcript: 1034 words transcribed via Whisper AI.