Democrats & MassGOP Criticize Botsford to Supreme Judicial Court

Governor Deval Patrick's nominee was confirmed today by the Governor's Council but not without some heated debate. Notice that today is the Friday before the Labor Day weekend and the Governor's Council always votes at 12 noon on Wednesdays.

As the Boston Herald reports, Democrat Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney said "No matter how vile the crime is, she has never given a maximum sentence." Two other Democrats, Carole Fiola and Mary-Ellen Manning also voted against Botsford.

Mary-Ellen Manning had this to say, according to the State House News Service - "Of course, it is the governor's constitutional right to nominate as many hippies to the bench as he wishes...But at a hearing where basic questions about her judicial philosophy were met with blank stares, doubletalk and juicy rationalizations, she outed herself as the judicial activist she is: a jurist who will favor the predator rather than the prey and if the law doesn't afford her the necessary discretion, she will change the law."

Wow, those are some pretty strong words coming from a fellow Democrat.

The Herald also notes that Botsford "sentenced an MBTA bus driver convicted of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl with learning disabilities to four to six years in prison. Prosecutors had asked for up to 25 years."

Botsford's husband is an ardent Patrick-Murray supporter who donated beyond the legal limits to both campaigns. Both husband and wife are lawyers, but apparently, unfamiliar with campaign finance law. Stephen Rosenfeld donated $1,500 to Patrick's campaign and $600 to Murray's campaign. The limit is $500 per calendar year.

Botsford was first appointed to the judiciary by Governor Michael Dukakis, for whom Botsford's husband served as chief of staff and chief legal counsel.

Botsford is a Dukakis Democrat that is not mainstream and not good for Massachusetts. The MassGOP had a few points to make today on WAMC (Northeast Public Radio)