Judges? Politicians in Robes, Judicial Watch's Klayman Says on 'White
House Chronicle'
Tuesday August 5, 12:14 pm ET


WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- America needs tort reform, but not as
much as it needs better judges, according to the head of Judicial Watch,
the Washington, D.C.-based conservative legal group.

"There needs to be tort reform, but not as currently proposed by this
Congress and President Bush. That is just a gift to the medical
profession," said Larry Klayman, chairman and general counsel of Judicial
Watch, appearing on this week's edition of "White House Chronicle," a PBS
political talk show.

He added: "What we need are better judges."

Klayman sharply criticized federal judges, who are chosen because of the
favors they have done for the president or a senator. "They are not the
best and the brightest," he said, adding, "All the tools exist for judges
to throw out frivolous lawsuits, and cut back on excessive damage awards.
But we don't have judges who will stand on principle."

Frankly, he said, "We have judges who are politicians in robes."

Klayman said he was "bothered" by the lack of public interest in the
judicial appointments issue. "In some states, [people] are very
interested: California and Florida, my home state. In Florida, they're
very interested in judges because they've seen the Florida Supreme Court
go crazy over the years, as well as the other courts. But in other states,
it is a secondary issue."

Ironically, Klayman said, most Americans have had some experience with the
legal system, whether it's a family law matter or a contract dispute.
"They almost always walk away with a bad taste in their mouth," he said.
"And that's the result of intellectually and actually corrupt lawyers and
judges ... When people walk into a courtroom today, more often than not
they'll find judges pontificating from the bench, carrying on, disparaging
people."

Klayman said those courtroom scenes, not President Clinton's exploits, led
him to found Judicial Watch in 1984. "I started Judicial Watch not because
of Bill Clinton, but because my own profession had gone very corrupt."

Asked about the 15-lawyer group's biggest success, in terms of setting
legal precedent or effecting public policy change, in last decade, Klayman
said: "The biggest precedent that we set is that we, in effect, became a
private Justice Department ... Whether it is a Democratic or Republican
administration, we know that the Justice Department isn't going to bring
cases against their own administration. So we have stepped into that
void."

Just look, he added, at Judicial Watch's seal and motto, "Because no one
is above the law."

As for Attorney Gen. John Ascroft's handling of the department, where he
once worked as a trial lawyer, Klayman said: "I don't think, frankly, we
conservatives had high hopes for John Ashcroft ... True conservatives,
like true liberals, don't believe in violating peoples' civil liberties.
... And that is what we are seeing at the Justice Department with the
Patriot Act."

Klayman added that he is not necessarily in agreement with his Judicial
Watch colleagues on the Patriot Act. "I think it's very dangerous."

He went on to criticize Ashcroft's handling of Judicial Watch cases that
have held over from the Clinton administration. "He has continued to
prosecute them and pay the Clintons' legal fees, through the taxpayers.
It's just mind-boggling to me that he couldn't settle those cases.
Filegate, for example: 900 Republicans' files taken by the Clinton White
House. Why not settle the case?"

During the wide-ranging interview, with co-hosts Llewellyn King and Linda
Gasparello, Klayman also discussed the lawsuit Judicial Watch brought
against Vice President Cheney's energy advisory committee.