Federal Judge Quits After Dole’s Criticism

A federal appeals judge who was sharply criticized by Sen. Bob Dole resigned Tuesday and warned that efforts to “Willie Horton-ize the federal judiciary” would damage public confidence in the courts.

“In the current political campaign, enforcement of constitutional rights is equated with being soft on crime,” U.S. Circuit Judge H. Lee Sarokin said in a letter to President Clinton, adding that he planned to resign effective July 31. “To hold judges responsible for crime is like blaming doctors for disease.”