After Long Delay, Morrow Confirmed as Federal Judge

The Senate voted 67-28 Wednesday to confirm Los Angeles lawyer Margaret M. Morrow as a federal district judge, even as it sent another Clinton nominee for the federal bench back to the Judiciary Committee for further scrutiny.

Morrow’s appointment fills one of three vacancies among about 65 judgeships in the Central District of California. Nationwide, about one-tenth of the estimated 800 slots on the federal bench are vacant.

Morrow, 47, was nominated in May 1996 and was criticized by some conservatives for raising doubts about California’s ballot initiative process and describing the law as being on the “cutting edge of social change.”

But while some senators continued to oppose Morrow as a potential judicial activist who would attempt to legislate from the bench, she garnered strong support from Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and votes from two dozen other Republicans.

GOP congressional leaders, who have been attacked for lengthy delays in confirming President Clinton’s judicial nominees, in recent weeks have shifted their focus to others, including Philadelphia judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson.

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) called on Clinton to withdraw Massiah-Jackson’s nomination, expressing concern that she is soft on crime and has cursed in her courtroom.

“Clearly this nominee has very serious problems,” Lott said before Massiah-Jackson’s nomination was referred for a second hearing in the Judiciary Committee.

Morrow, however, earned praise even from some of her foes.

Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.), who led the opposition, acknowledged that the former head of the Los Angeles County and California state bar associations “is an outstanding lawyer” with “great intellect,” “tremendous experience” and integrity.

Still, he said: “This is a question about whether or not this candidate will respect the separation of powers.” He expressed fear that Morrow would join a group of federal judges in California whom he described as activists.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who sponsored Morrow’s candidacy, attacked her colleagues for lumping Morrow in with other judges in the region.

“Margaret Morrow is the epitome of mainstream values and mainstream America,” she said. “Margaret Morrow is Margaret Morrow. She is not Judge X or Judge Y or Judge Z.”