Washington D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13), released the following statement on the death of Detroit federal Judge Anna Diggs Taylor:
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| Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives John Conyers, Jr. |
“I am incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend Judge Anna Diggs Taylor. Judge Taylor was a pioneer who blazed a trail for countless women and African-Americans.
“After Judge Diggs Taylor was appointed to the federal bench by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, she continued to uphold the values enshrined in the Constitution. During her tenure, Judge Diggs Taylor was impartial in her handling of some of the most controversial cases of their time.
“Judge Diggs Taylor’s commitment to the rule of law is to be respected and cherished now and for generations to come. My sympathies go out to her husband, their children, and grandchildren during this difficult time.”
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In 2006, Taylor was the first federal judge to rule on the legal and constitutional issues of the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy. Her ruling in ACLU v. NSA held that the domestic wiretapping conducted by the National Security Agency without court approval violates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and is unconstitutional. She granted a permanent injunction to halt it. The ruling, whose effect was stayed pending appellate proceedings,[4] sparked a vigorous political and legal controversy. She declined to rule on the legality of the alleged NSA call database, on state-secrets grounds. The quality and comprehensiveness of her opinion have been criticized by some legal experts.[5]
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The conservative watchdog organization Judicial Watch has alleged that Taylor may have had a conflict of interest in the case, because, according to Judicial Watch she is or was secretary and trustee for the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan (CFSEM), a group that made a $45,000 grant over two years to the ACLU of Michigan, the plaintiff in ACLU v. NSA in whose favor Taylor ruled.[6]
ReplyDeleteTaylor's ruling was subsequently overturned by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. By a 2-1 vote, the appellate court held that the plaintiffs lacked standing, and vacated the portion of Taylor's ruling concerning warrantless wiretaps.
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