Judge Nominee Rose Involved in Agri Debacle Receives Majority Vote By U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

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agriU.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose received a majority vote on her nomination for federal judge today by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the committee, said there was an issue raised since the last hearing about Rose but her nomination would go to the Senate floor pending review.

He didn’t explain the issue but said Wednesday during a weekly news conference that there were a lot of questions about her involvement in the prosecution of illegal workers who were arrested during the 2008 Agriprocessors raid at the Postville meatpacking plant. Grassley said questions were raised about how defendants were treated during the fast track court proceedings in Waterloo but according to the record Rose followed the law.

A message was left Thursday morning for Sen. Grassley’s office to see if he would explain the issue he mentioned.

At a committee hearing last month, Rose explained her role in the Postville prosecutions was limited. She wasn’t the U.S. Attorney at the time, only the deputy chief of the criminal division. Rose said she acted as a liaison between the court, defense attorneys, probation, the clerk’s office and others.

Rose said she wasn’t involved in the planning of the raid, the pre-raid ratified plea agreements or the prosecutions themselves. She and others in the office were following decision-making from the U.S. Department of Justice who had control and approval over the fast track prosecutions of more than 350 illegal immigrants.

University of Richmond School of Law Professor Carl Tobias, an expert on federal courts, said he wasn’t aware of the issue Grassley mentioned but he didn’t think Grassley was too concerned about it or he wouldn’t have voted in favor of the nomination, and probably would have held the vote all together if it was a concern.

Tobias said there are 17 judge nominations ahead of Rose waiting on a floor vote.

“There was an agreement (between Democrats and Republicans) to vote on five before May 7, but the rest haven’t been decided,” Tobias said. “There is a circuit judge, just voted on Monday, who has waited five months. Of course, there was the break during December and January, but this (Rose’s vote) could go into summer.”

Tobias said these votes typically slow down in election year. This year, the Republicans may want to hold some of the federal openings in hopes their candidate will win and they can choose the next judges.

“Sen. Grassley is so instrumental and powerful on the committee, I would think he could still press for Rose and others to go to the floor if he chooses,” Tobias said.

Rose, 39, of Center Point, was nominated by President Barack Obama for the federal bench in the Southern District. If confirmed, she will replace Chief Judge Robert Pratt, who will retire July 1.

Rose was appointed as the U.S. Attorney in the Northern District in 2009.

{Eastern Iowa News/Matzav.com Newscenter}


5 COMMENTS

  1. Bad news for this country. Bad news because our own president has no knowledge of the Rubashkin ordeal, nor does he care to learn. This is chutzpah of the highest order.

  2. Rabosai, just remember, don’t forget, the goldene medine is still galus. A confirmed anti-semite is about to become judge and no one or too few seem to be concerned.

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