This is an important position, a significant appointment, and a step in the right direction for the DOJ. The Senate should act quickly to confirm her, a doubtful outcome given its current state of obstructionism.
WASHINGTON – The newly named acting head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is a well-respected ACLU lawyer who has long been active on criminal justice reform issues, has called for the decriminalization of marijuana and is a critic of the controversial practice of civil asset forfeiture.
Vanita Gupta, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, will take over the Civil Rights Division next week, Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Monday. Gupta will also be nominated by President Barack Obama to lead the Civil Rights Division on a permanent basis, an official familiar with the process confirmed.
Click here to read more.