It's OK To Be An Activist Judge If You're A Republican, doncha know? (.pdf)
Prior to taking the bench, Judge Hudson cultivated a professional reputation as a tough-on-crime prosecutor. He had controversial roles in such high-profile cases as the deadly 1992 siege by federal marshals and the FBI at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, the 1980s drug investigation of Sen. Charles S. Robb and the 1986 pornography investigation by the Meese Commission.
Hudson later admitted that in his campaign for the office of Commonwealth (State) Attorney in Virginia he may have violated federal law by campaigning on the job. His work on the siege at Ruby Ridge had a Senate subcommittee issuing the following statement: “We were disappointed to learn that, based on his desire to avoid creating discoverable documents that might be used by the defense in the Weaver/Harris trial. . . former Director Henry Hudson decided to conduct no formal internal review of USMS activities connected with the Weaver case and the Ruby Ridge incident.” And in a WaPo article on the trial of Democratic Senator Charles Robb, described Hudson thusly: “Although Hudson's successes won public praise, he made a considerable number of enemies over the years, among them people in the legal defense community and some in the political arena who have labeled him a heartless conservative and an untrustworthy opportunist. Most recently Sen. Charles S. Robb, a Democrat from Virginia, accused Hudson of ‘exploiting for partisan purposes’ a federal grand jury, saying that in the late 1980s the Republican prosecutor conducted an improper investigation into allegations that Robb attended Virginia Beach parties where drugs were used.” Nice guy, huh?
Judge Hudson also stands by some of his most controversial decisions, including his prosecution of a man with mental retardation in Arlington for the rape and murder of a woman in 1984. The man, David Vasquez, served five years in prison before DNA and circumstantial evidence exonerated him. Hudson reflected: “I certainly wish him the best and regret what happened. However, I offer no apologies.”
Yeah, why apologize to an innocent man who doesn't have the intellectual capacity to understand that apology? Being a Republican means never having to admit you're wrong.
In 2007, Judge Hudson published a memoir, “Quest for Justice: From Deputy Sheriff to Federal Judge…and Lessons Learned Along the Way.” The Washington Post reported the following excerpt from the book:
“During my early years as a prosecutor I was narrow-minded and at times offensively self-righteous,” [Judge Hudson] writes … “I lied to the General Assembly and the Fairfax County Bar Association when I told them unequivocally that I had no intention of seeking a federal judgeship,” the former Fairfax judge writes. “Perhaps lied is too strong a term.”
Oh, and trustworthy too! But finally, there is the issue of Hudson's financial arrangements:
Judge Hudson’s financial disclosure forms show that from 2003 through 2008, Judge Hudson received “dividends” from Campaign Solutions Inc., among other investments. A Republican online communications firm, Campaign Solutions, has done work for a host of prominent Republican clients and health care reform critics, including the RNC and NRCC (both of which have called, to varying degrees, for health care reform's repeal). The president of the firm, Becki Donatelli, is the wife of longtime GOP hand Frank Donatelli, and is an adviser to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, among others. Another firm client is Kenneth Cuccinelli, the Attorney General of Virginia and the man who is bringing the lawsuit in front of Hudson's court. In 2010, records show, Cuccinelli spent nearly $9,000 for Campaign Solutions services.
Ah...so Hudson financially benefited from a company doing work for Republican interests, including for the very attorney general who brought the case to Hudson's court. But Hudson didn't recuse himself for this big, fat, glaring appearance of conflict. Oh no....I.O.K.T.B.A.A.J.I.Y.A.R.
