Yesterday Romney spokesman denied he was really the motivating force behind of appointment of Judge Kathe Tuttman who released killer Daniel Tavares despite objections of prosecutors. The Fox report yesterday says : “Madden said this process of judicial appointment – one that did not disclose the nominee’s name to Romney – shows this case is not similar to the weekend prison furlough program former presidential candidate and Democratic Gov. Michael Dukakis maintained in Massachusetts.” However, it appears that at the time Romney knew exactly who he was nominating and bragged about it as part of his push to hire women to the bench. In 2006 Romney sent out a press release crowing about his his initial appointment of Tuttman to the trial as “part of the the largest number of female candidates brought forward at one time.” This information was pretty easy to find- part of Womenforromney.com.

“MITT ROMNEY
GOVERNOR

KERRY HEALEY
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 26, 2006

CONTACT:
Eric Fehrnstrom
Corbie Kiernan
(617) 725-4025

ROMNEY NOMINATES FOUR WOMEN TO JUDICIARY

Governor Mitt Romney announced today that he has nominated four women to serve as judges in the Massachusetts trial court system, the largest number of female candidates ever brought forward at one time.

Romney has made the appointment of women to the state’s courts a priority, and recently asked his Judicial Nominating Council to bring forward the names of more female and minority applicants. If these four women are all confirmed by the Governor’s Council, women will represent 36% of the appointments made by Romney for judicial office, which includes judges and clerk magistrate positions.

‘I am pleased with the outstanding qualifications of the individuals I have nominated to the bench,’ Romney said. ‘They have the capability, the qualifications and the experience to be fair and balanced jurists.’

Nominated were:

* Kathe M. Tuttman of Andover, as Associate Justice of the Superior Court;
* Tracy L. Lyons of Marblehead, as Associate Justice of the Brighton division of the Boston Municipal Court;
* Therese M. Wright of West Barnstable, as Associate Justice of the Edgartown District Court; and,
* Merita A. Hopkins of Boston, as Associate Justice of the Superior Court.

Tuttman has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Essex County District Attorney’s Office since 1989. During that time, she has held various positions, including Director of the Family Crimes and Sexual Assault Unit, Superior Court Prosecutor and Lead Prosecutor for Lawrence District Court’s Domestic Violence Unit. She has also served on the Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Advisory Group for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Tuttman graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University in 1974 and received her law degree from Suffolk University Law School, cum laude, in 1988.”

According to this, Romney caved to pressure to dig up more women nominees when women’s grouped complained about lack of “diversity”. Aside from this example of affirmative action gone horridly astray, the notion that he so easily fell prey to the drumbeat of groups mouthing classic interest group politics should raise concerns.