by Christian Wade
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s pick to fill a vacancy on the state’s highest court has withdrawn her nomination amid questions about her support for women’s reproductive rights.
On Friday, Attorney Sandra Slack Glover withdrew as Lamont’s nominee for the state Supreme Court several days after the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee declined to vote on her nomination.
At a hearing last Monday, Glover (pictured above) was peppered with questions from lawmakers about a letter she signed in 1998 supporting Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Barrett went on to be nominated to the Supreme Court, and played a key role in overturning Roe v. Wade abortion protections.
But in a statement, Lamont said Glover, who serves as the appellate chief for the U.S. Attorney of Connecticut, would have been an “extraordinary justice” of the state’s highest court, but said he accepts her withdrawal.
“I stand by that, and I stand by her as a lawyer of experience, character, and compassion, while respecting her decision today to withdraw from consideration,” he said. “Her career in public service and her dedication to the rule of law speak for themselves.”
Lamont tapped Glover to fill the seat on the Supreme Court left by the departure of Maria Araújo Kahn, who resigned in March after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
During last week’s hearing, Glover told lawmakers that she regretted sending the letter in retrospect but pointed out that she was a colleague of Barrett’s as a clerk for then-Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the court. At the time, Barrett was a law clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia.
Glover said she is committed to preserving the right to an abortion, criticized the Supreme Court’s decision in the landmark Dobbs case, and noted that she joined the 2017 Women’s March on Washington in protest of the election of Donald Trump as president.
“All of us should have a constitutional right to control our reproductive freedom and our bodies,” Glover told the panel. “My belief in this is firm and unwavering.”
But several Democratic lawmakers questioned whether she would uphold Connecticut’s reproductive rights if seated on the state’s highest court.
Lamont says that despite the withdrawal, Glover did a “terrific job” during the seven-hour-long public hearing and had “positive meetings” with legislative leaders on both sides of the political aisle ahead of her confirmation hearing.
“From beginning to end, she showed her talent, demonstrated her keen legal mind, and let people know she shares Connecticut’s values,” he said.
Lamont didn’t nominate a replacement but plans to tap “other accomplished candidates who, like Sandy, share my values and are dedicated to the principles of justice, equality, and fairness under the law.”
Still, it seems unlikely that Lamont will nominate a new Supreme Court justice before the Legislature recesses on June 7 for summer break.
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Christian Wade is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Sandra Slack Glover” by The Office of Governor Ned Lamont. Background Photo “Connecticut Supreme Court Building” by John Phelan. CC BY 3.0.
