Corrigan Sworn in as Associate Justice of State Supreme Court
Carol Corrigan (R) on Wednesday was sworn in as an associate justice of the California Supreme Court after the three-member Commission on Judicial Appointments on Wednesday voted unanimously to confirm her, the Los Angeles Times reports (Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 1/5).
As an associate justice on the 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco, Corrigan in a 1997 ruling reversed the convictions of antiabortion protesters who had been charged for demonstrating outside a Vallejo clinic. She said state attorneys did not prove that the protesters were part of a group that had been banned from protesting outside the clinic.
However, Corrigan, who is active in the Roman Catholic Church and affiliated charities, has said she does not always share the church's views on abortion and other issues and she makes an effort to prevent those views from influencing her rulings (California Healthline, 12/13/05).
According to the San Jose Mercury News, Corrigan during the hearing said she does not believe that judges' private views should dictate their rulings and that she would apply the law (Mintz, San Jose Mercury News, 1/5).
After being sworn in, Corrigan said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) applied "no litmus test of any kind" in nominating her (Cooper, Sacramento Bee, 1/4).
Corrigan will receive an annual salary of $170,694 as an associate justice. State voters in November 2006 will vote on whether Corrigan should remain on the court for a full 12-year term (Los Angeles Times, 1/5).