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Restoring the Justice Department: "What Would You Ask the Next Attorney General?"
Recently, President Bush announced his nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey to be the next Attorney General of the United States. Little attention has been paid, however, to his civil rights record or to the civil rights implications of his national security rulings.
Hear the voices of four lawyers who have worked to protect our rights, and learn more about how the next Attorney General will influence the future of civil rights in our country.
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"What Would You Ask The Next Attorney General?"
This video features four former Civil Rights Division lawyers who explain their views on the unique role of the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice, and the questions they believe tomorrow’s Attorney General must answer today!
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Politicization of the Justice Department
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division was created to enforce federal civil rights laws against discrimination. Since its establishment, the Division has grown dramatically both in size and responsibility and today is the largest civil rights law firm in America. However, recent controversy and the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and other top officials have damaged public confidence in the Department's ability to enforce civil rights laws.
Below, you will find video from two former Justice Department attorneys. Their stories speak to the essential mission of Civil Rights Division and its troubling recent history.
Video: Two Former Attorneys Examine the DOJ's Civil Rights Enforcement History
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Joe Rich on the Politicization of the Justice Department
Joe Rich, former chief of the Voting Section, comments on the politicization of the Justice Department. "There was a tradition," says Rich, "of career people... that carried on a tradition of apolitical law enforcement. And often disagreements with political appointments may have different views of the law, but it was always done on a level of arguing the law, and the interpretation of the law, and really keeping politics out of it."
Watch the Video! (Quicktime) |
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Jim Turner on the Politicization of the Justice Department
Jim Turner, who joined the Justice Department in 1965, discusses his career as a U.S. Attorney and early civil rights enforcement in Selma Alabama. Juxtaposed against a recent Senate hearing examining the politicization of the Justice Department, Turner's story is just one example for how far civil rights enforcement has strayed. "My position on political involvement," says Turner, "has always been that there ought not be any."
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