Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Dear Senator
My name is Vernellia Randall I'm a professor emeritus at the University of Dayton School of Law. Among the many courses, I taught over 24+ years was Professional Responsibility.
Yesterday, I filed a complaint with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals on Judge Brett K Kavanaugh. As a lawyer, I have an ethical responsibility to report a lawyer or judge for violations of the ethical rules of Conduct. ABA Rule 8.3 has a mandatory reporting requirement.
Furthermore, as a lawyer, you have a similar ethical responsibility.
On September 27, 2018, Judge Brett Kavanaugh gave testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing. During the testimony, Judge Kavanaugh made partisan statements, and his behavior places Judge Brett Kavanaugh's ability to be an impartial member of the Federal circuit court and Supreme Court into question.
Judge Kavanaugh behavior is misconduct as defined by Federal Court Judicial Conduct rule 3(H)(1)(E) Cognizable misconduct is conduct prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts. Misconduct includes engaging in partisan political activity or making inappropriately partisan statements.
Furthermore, the conduct was a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct, Rule 1.2: A judge shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.”
It is important to note that Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony was not a spur of the moment reaction but a preplanned written response.
ABA Model Rule 8.3 provides:
(a) A lawyer who knows that another lawyer has committed a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct that raises a substantial question as to that lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects, shall inform the appropriate professional authority.
The legal profession is self–regulating. It relies on lawyers themselves, rather than on government or organizations outside the Bar, to enforce professional responsibility. As such, most jurisdictions impose a mandatory reporting obligation on every lawyer with respect to other lawyers’ violations of the professional rules. The failure of a lawyer to report misconduct by another lawyer is itself a violation of the rules that may result in professional discipline
Per Rule 8.3(a): A lawyer who knows that another lawyer has committed a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct that raises a substantial question as to that lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects, shall inform the appropriate professional authority.
Such a case exist here and as an attorney, you are required to file a complaint with the Federal court.
I want to make it clear that I am making the assertion, not as a Democrat or a Republican. I am a registered independent and have not voted for a Democratic or a Republican presidential candidate in over 30 years. Rather, my assertions come as a law professor. While it is always been that the courts' decision making is value based, the justices at least attempted to provide an image of non-partisan because the rules require it. If you do not file a complaint, then the message you will be sending to future lawyers, is that legal ethics are situational.
While it may be tempting to excuse Justice Kavanaugh's behavior. The rules provide no such exceptions.
I hope that you as a lawyer can rise above partisanship and do your duty as an attorney to protect the integrity of the system of justice by enforcing its ethical rules - even against the powerful.
Vernellia R. Randall
Professor Emerita of Law
Contact Information for Senators | ||||||
Lawyer |
LastName |
FirstName |
Party |
State |
Address |
Phone |
Yes |
Alexander |
Lamar |
R |
TN |
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4944 |
Yes |
Baldwin |
Tammy |
D |
WI |
709 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5653 |
Barrasso |
John |
R |
WY |
307 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6441 |
|
Bennet |
Michael F. |
D |
CO |
261 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5852 |
|
Yes |
Blumenthal |
Richard |
D |
CT |
706 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2823 |
Blunt |
Roy |
R |
MO |
260 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5721 |
|
Yes |
Booker |
Cory A. |
D |
NJ |
359 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3224 |
Boozman |
John |
R |
AR |
141 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4843 |
|
Brown |
Sherrod |
D |
OH |
713 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2315 |
|
Burr |
Richard |
R |
NC |
217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3154 |
|
Cantwell |
Maria |
D |
WA |
511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3441 |
|
Capito |
Shelley Moore |
R |
WV |
172 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6472 |
|
Cardin |
Benjamin L. |
D |
MD |
509 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4524 |
|
Carper |
Thomas R. |
D |
DE |
513 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2441 |
|
Yes |
Casey |
Robert P., Jr. |
D |
PA |
393 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6324 |
Cassidy |
Bill |
R |
LA |
520 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5824 |
|
Collins |
Susan M. |
R |
ME |
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2523 |
|
Yes |
Coons |
Christopher A. |
D |
DE |
127A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5042 |
Corker |
Bob |
R |
TN |
425 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3344 |
|
Yes |
Cornyn |
John |
R |
TX |
517 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2934 |
Yes |
Cortez Masto |
Catherine |
D |
NV |
204 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3542 |
Yes |
Cotton |
Tom |
R |
AR |
124 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2353 |
Yes |
Crapo |
Mike |
R |
ID |
239 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6142 |
Yes |
Cruz |
Ted |
R |
TX |
404 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5922 |
Daines |
Steve |
R |
MT |
320 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2651 |
|
Donnelly |
Joe |
D |
IN |
720 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4814 |
|
Duckworth |
Tammy |
D |
IL |
524 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2854 |
|
Yes |
Durbin |
Richard J. |
D |
IL |
711 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2152 |
Enzi |
Michael B. |
R |
WY |
379A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3424 |
|
Ernst |
Joni |
R |
IA |
111 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3254 |
|
Fischer |
Deb |
R |
NE |
454 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6551 |
|
Flake |
Jeff |
R |
AZ |
413 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4521 |
|
Yes |
Gardner |
Cory |
R |
CO |
354 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5941 |
Yes |
Gillibrand |
Kirsten E. |
D |
NY |
478 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4451 |
Yes |
Graham |
Lindsey |
R |
SC |
290 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5972 |
Grassley |
Chuck |
R |
IA |
135 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3744 |
|
Yes |
Harris |
Kamala D. |
D |
CA |
112 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3553 |
Yes |
Hassan |
Margaret Wood |
D |
NH |
330 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3324 |
Yes |
Hatch |
Orrin G. |
R |
UT |
104 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5251 |
Heinrich |
Martin |
D |
NM |
303 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5521 |
|
Yes |
Heitkamp |
Heidi |
D |
ND |
516 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2043 |
Heller |
Dean |
R |
NV |
324 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6244 |
|
Yes |
Hirono |
Mazie K. |
D |
HI |
730 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6361 |
Hoeven |
John |
R |
ND |
338 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2551 |
|
Hyde-Smith |
Cindy |
R |
MS |
G12 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5054 |
|
Inhofe |
James M. |
R |
OK |
205 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4721 |
|
Isakson |
Johnny |
R |
GA |
131 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3643 |
|
Johnson |
Ron |
R |
WI |
328 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5323 |
|
Yes |
Jones |
Doug |
D |
AL |
326 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4124 |
Yes |
Kaine |
Tim |
D |
VA |
231 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4024 |
Yes |
Kennedy |
John |
R |
LA |
383 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4623 |
King |
Angus S., Jr. |
I |
ME |
133 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5344 |
|
Yes |
Klobuchar |
Amy |
D |
MN |
302 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3244 |
Yes |
Kyl |
Jon |
R |
AZ |
G12 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
202-224- |
Lankford |
James |
R |
OK |
316 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5754 |
|
Yes |
Leahy |
Patrick J. |
D |
VT |
437 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4242 |
Yes |
Lee |
Mike |
R |
UT |
361A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5444 |
Manchin |
Joe, III |
D |
WV |
306 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3954 |
|
Yes |
Markey |
Edward J. |
D |
MA |
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2742 |
Yes |
McCaskill |
Claire |
D |
MO |
503 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6154 |
Yes |
McConnell |
Mitch |
R |
KY |
317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2541 |
Yes |
Menendez |
Robert |
D |
NJ |
528 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4744 |
Merkley |
Jeff |
D |
OR |
313 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3753 |
|
Yes |
Moran |
Jerry |
R |
KS |
521 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6521 |
Yes |
Murkowski |
Lisa |
R |
AK |
522 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6665 |
Yes |
Murphy |
Christopher |
D |
CT |
136 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4041 |
Murray |
Patty |
D |
WA |
154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2621 |
|
Yes |
Nelson |
Bill |
D |
FL |
716 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5274 |
Paul |
Rand |
R |
KY |
167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4343 |
|
Perdue |
David |
R |
GA |
455 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3521 |
|
Peters |
Gary C. |
D |
MI |
724 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6221 |
|
Yes |
Portman |
Rob |
R |
OH |
448 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3353 |
Yes |
Reed |
Jack |
D |
RI |
728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4642 |
Risch |
James E. |
R |
ID |
483 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2752 |
|
Roberts |
Pat |
R |
KS |
109 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4774 |
|
Rounds |
Mike |
R |
SD |
502 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5842 |
|
Yes |
Rubio |
Marco |
R |
FL |
284 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3041 |
Sanders |
Bernard |
I |
VT |
332 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5141 |
|
Sasse |
Ben |
R |
NE |
136 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4224 |
|
Schatz |
Brian |
D |
HI |
722 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3934 |
|
Yes |
Schumer |
Charles E. |
D |
NY |
322 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6542 |
Scott |
Tim |
R |
SC |
717 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6121 |
|
Shaheen |
Jeanne |
D |
NH |
506 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2841 |
|
Yes |
Shelby |
Richard C. |
R |
AL |
304 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5744 |
Smith |
Tina |
D |
MN |
309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5641 |
|
Stabenow |
Debbie |
D |
MI |
731 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4822 |
|
Sullivan |
Dan |
R |
AK |
702 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-3004 |
|
Tester |
Jon |
D |
MT |
311 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2644 |
|
Thune |
John |
R |
SD |
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2321 |
|
Tillis |
Thom |
R |
NC |
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6342 |
|
Toomey |
Patrick J. |
R |
PA |
248 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4254 |
|
Yes |
Udall |
Tom |
D |
NM |
531 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6621 |
Yes |
Van Hollen |
Chris |
D |
MD |
110 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4654 |
Warner |
Mark R. |
D |
VA |
703 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2023 |
|
Yes |
Warren |
Elizabeth |
D |
MA |
317 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-4543 |
Yes |
Whitehouse |
Sheldon |
D |
RI |
530 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-2921 |
Yes |
Wicker |
Roger F. |
R |
MS |
555 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-6253 |
Wyden |
Ron |
D |
OR |
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5244 |
|
Young |
Todd |
R |
IN |
400 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 |
(202) 224-5623 |