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Mr. Joseph Berman Unqualified for Superior Court
Joseph Dagdigian, Harvard, MA, 28 February 2014
As suburban Boston constituencies look on, Governor Deval Patrick is
still insisting that the eight elected Governor's Councilors accept
his nominee, attorney Joseph Berman, to be a Superior Court judge..
After Mr. Berman's first hearing on Nov 13, 2013, a majority of
Councilors indicated that they would not vote in favor of Patrick's
desired candidate.
Many of their reasons stem from issues of character. They included
Mr. Berman's not being honest during sworn testimony when asked about
his having elected officials lobby the Councilors on his behalf; his
hefty campaign contributions to Democratic candidates since being
turned down for a judgeship in 2004; his sarcastic attitude when
questioned by Councilors; his lack of criminal trial experience; his
lack of knowledge about and/or dismissive demeanor when asked about
drug addiction issues; and his controversial decision to not resign
from the Anti-Defamation League- an organization which hypocritically
works against Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Once it was known that Mr. Berman was not supported by the majority,
Governor Patrick postponed a vote and, instead, intensely politicked
to urge Councilors to reverse their position. This culminated in Gov.
Patrick's withdrawing the Berman nomination, only to resubmit it, and
call for a second hearing for Mr. Berman, which was just held on Feb.
26, 2014.
As an attendee at that hearing, it appeared to me that Councilors were
bending to political pressure. I conclude this because when their
formerly stated reasons for opposing his nomination were inadequately
readdressed on the floor, some Councilors surprisingly indicated that
they now found acceptable what they at first did not. Now, Mr. Berman
indicated he did not fully understand the questions previously asked
about his lobbying efforts. Now, campaign contributions suddenly
appeared reasonable, given that he, too, was a Democrat supporting his
chosen political party members. Now, he was simply misunderstood when
he had offered curt replies to questions. Now, since the first
hearing, he's qualified since he read a book about drug addiction and
gone to a drug court. Now, some Councilors felt that Mr. Berman should
not be penalized for his shameful failure, as a National Commissioner
of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), to take a moral stance against
the ADL's siding with Turkey and lobbying to squash Armenian Genocide
recognition resolutions in Congress. Genocide is an international
crime, and the US is a signatory to the Convention on the Prevention
and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
To what do we owe this sudden tolerance and acceptance? How is it that
some Councilors now seem willing to overlook Mr. Berman's character
and professional deficits?
During the hearing's recess, Mr. Berman was seen outside the meeting
hall "high-fiving" some of his colleagues, signaling his perception of
an imminent victory. Is this the sort of sober comportment we want in
a judge?
It appears as if Governor Patrick is helping Mr. Berman pursue a
position for which he is ill-qualified to hold. Massachusetts
citizens deserve a mature, reasoned and unbiased judge on the bench.
Mr. Berman does not merit that distinction.
READER COMMENT:
A vote may take place as soon as this Wednesday, March 5.
To express your concerns to the Governor's Councilors, you may send
your emails to:
Ms. Marilyn Devaney = [email protected]
Mr. Robert Jubinville = [email protected]
Ms. Jennie Caissie = [email protected]
Mr. Oliver Cipollini = [email protected]
http://www.keghart.com/Dagdigian-Berman
Joseph Dagdigian, Harvard, MA, 28 February 2014
As suburban Boston constituencies look on, Governor Deval Patrick is
still insisting that the eight elected Governor's Councilors accept
his nominee, attorney Joseph Berman, to be a Superior Court judge..
After Mr. Berman's first hearing on Nov 13, 2013, a majority of
Councilors indicated that they would not vote in favor of Patrick's
desired candidate.
Many of their reasons stem from issues of character. They included
Mr. Berman's not being honest during sworn testimony when asked about
his having elected officials lobby the Councilors on his behalf; his
hefty campaign contributions to Democratic candidates since being
turned down for a judgeship in 2004; his sarcastic attitude when
questioned by Councilors; his lack of criminal trial experience; his
lack of knowledge about and/or dismissive demeanor when asked about
drug addiction issues; and his controversial decision to not resign
from the Anti-Defamation League- an organization which hypocritically
works against Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Once it was known that Mr. Berman was not supported by the majority,
Governor Patrick postponed a vote and, instead, intensely politicked
to urge Councilors to reverse their position. This culminated in Gov.
Patrick's withdrawing the Berman nomination, only to resubmit it, and
call for a second hearing for Mr. Berman, which was just held on Feb.
26, 2014.
As an attendee at that hearing, it appeared to me that Councilors were
bending to political pressure. I conclude this because when their
formerly stated reasons for opposing his nomination were inadequately
readdressed on the floor, some Councilors surprisingly indicated that
they now found acceptable what they at first did not. Now, Mr. Berman
indicated he did not fully understand the questions previously asked
about his lobbying efforts. Now, campaign contributions suddenly
appeared reasonable, given that he, too, was a Democrat supporting his
chosen political party members. Now, he was simply misunderstood when
he had offered curt replies to questions. Now, since the first
hearing, he's qualified since he read a book about drug addiction and
gone to a drug court. Now, some Councilors felt that Mr. Berman should
not be penalized for his shameful failure, as a National Commissioner
of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), to take a moral stance against
the ADL's siding with Turkey and lobbying to squash Armenian Genocide
recognition resolutions in Congress. Genocide is an international
crime, and the US is a signatory to the Convention on the Prevention
and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
To what do we owe this sudden tolerance and acceptance? How is it that
some Councilors now seem willing to overlook Mr. Berman's character
and professional deficits?
During the hearing's recess, Mr. Berman was seen outside the meeting
hall "high-fiving" some of his colleagues, signaling his perception of
an imminent victory. Is this the sort of sober comportment we want in
a judge?
It appears as if Governor Patrick is helping Mr. Berman pursue a
position for which he is ill-qualified to hold. Massachusetts
citizens deserve a mature, reasoned and unbiased judge on the bench.
Mr. Berman does not merit that distinction.
READER COMMENT:
A vote may take place as soon as this Wednesday, March 5.
To express your concerns to the Governor's Councilors, you may send
your emails to:
Ms. Marilyn Devaney = [email protected]
Mr. Robert Jubinville = [email protected]
Ms. Jennie Caissie = [email protected]
Mr. Oliver Cipollini = [email protected]
http://www.keghart.com/Dagdigian-Berman