Judge Who Axed Obama Immigration Actions Is No Stranger To Controversy

[deminks]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/fivepoints/judge-arthur-schwab-controversies

The federal judge who ruled Tuesday that President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration are unconstitutional has a controversial past which includes slaps on the wrist from the circuit court that oversees his court.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab of Pennsylvania, who was appointed by George W. Bush in 2002, drew a fierce rebuke from the Justice Department, which called it "unfounded" and "flatly wrong."

(snip)

Judge Schwab has twice been removed from cases by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, a rare occurrence for a judge. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one instance came in 2008, when he was criticized for his handling of a case involving Cyril H. Wecht, in which a coroner faced accusations of misusing office resources. Another came in 2012, when he was pulled from a case involving a dispute between health care care companies West Penn Allegheny Health System and UPMC. The blog FindLaw reported that Schwab was removed for bias.

(snip)

In 2004, the Third Circuit reversed one of Schwab rulings in the case of Bright v. Westmoreland County. The reason it gave was extraordinary.

"The Court of Appeals, Nygaard, Circuit Judge, held that reversal and remand was required where district court, with only two substantive changes, adopted defendants’ proposed opinion and order as its own," the circuit order read.

(end snip)

A Bush appointee who is flatly wrong. Who knew? Cyril Wecht, btw, is a famous critic of the Warren Commission.

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. My mostly apolitical husband somehow managed to see this story before me.

And he's flabbergasted. I wish I could say it surprises me, but the mental gymnastics on the part of Republicans seeking to tear down Obama is not remotely unusual. Just another day at the office I'm afraid.