University President John Garvey published commentary in the Washington Examiner on Amy Barrett, a Catholic federal judge nominee. President Garvey's op-ed was cited in articles at Catholic News Service, CatholicCulture.org and America Magazine, and an editorial in the Examiner.He was also interviewed for a story in The Atlantic.His quote in America was referenced in aDeseret Newsstory. President Garvey appeared on Fox New's Journal Editorial Report. See below.
Catholic News Agency published a story that quoted President Garvey's commentary, and quoted Chad Pecknold, associate professor, theology. Pecknold was also quoted in a National Review story, and published commentary in the Wall Street Journal.
From the Washington Examiner
By John Garvey
I never thought I'd see the day when a coalition of left-wing groups attacked a Republican judicial nominee for opposing the death penalty.
SinceFurman v. Georgiain 1972 the American political Left has resolutely campaigned against capital punishment. Justice Brennan used to dissent every time the Supreme Court turned down an appeal from a death row inmate. Speaking at Georgetown University in 1985, he justified his practice by saying, "On this issue, I hope to embody a community striving for human dignity for all[.]" Justice Marshall always joined Justice Brennan in dissent. His explanation was, "It's so morally correct, I wouldn't think of giving it up."
Amy Barrett, a law professor at Notre Dame, was grilled on Wednesday by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee about an article she and I wrote together in 1998 when I was a law professor and she was my student. In that article we argued that the death penalty was immoral, as the Catholic Church teaches (in common with Quakers, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, and the 38 member communions in the National Council of Churches). We went on to say that a Catholic judge who held that view might, in rare cases, have to recuse herself under 28 U.S.C. § 455. That is a federal statute that asks a federal judge to step aside when she has conscientious scruples that prevent her from deciding a case in conformity with the facts and the law. ...
