Florida Abortion Advocates Upset Crist Picks Pro-Life Supreme Court Judges
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 1, 2008
Tallahassee, FL (LifeNews.com) — Abortion advocates in Florida are upset with Governor Charlie Crist, who has selected two judges friendly to the pro-life movement for the Florida Supreme Court. Crist named conservative appellate judge Ricky Polston to the court today and former Rep. Charles Canady earlier.
Polston received his law degree from Florida State University law school and was appointed in 2000 to the First District Court of Appeal. He is an elder at a local Christian church.
His comments to the Miami Herald newspaper indicate his judicial philosophy is one pro-life advocates can support — "I will not want to legislate from the bench."
In September, Crist named pro-life champion Charles Canady, a Second District Court of Appeal judge, to the state Supreme Court. Canady is a former Florida congressman who was the lead sponsor of the partial-birth abortion ban and worked closely with the pro-life community.
The selections of Polston and Canady are disappointing to abortion advocates.
The Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates condemned both picks and noted that Polston, when he was an attorney in private practice, representing the backers of the Choose Life license plate in their efforts to get it approved.
The plate sparked others nationwide has resulted in millions of dollars in funding for pregnancy centers and adoption programs.
”Supreme Court Justices can serve on the court for decades and their decisions impact the lives and health of Florida women and families for generations to come,” Florida Planned Parenthood director Adrienne Kimmell said in a statement.
“In two appointments, Gov. Crist has failed to demonstrate a willingness to uphold Florida’s constitutionally protected right to privacy and protect women’s heath," she claimed.
ACTION: Contact Governor Crist with your thoughts on the appointments at https://www.flgov.com/contact_governor.
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