Colom asks Hyde-Smith to reverse her opposition to his judicial nomination

Apr. 12—JACKSON — Scott Colom in a recent letter asked U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith to reconsider her opposition to his nomination to the federal bench.

The letter, which was obtained by the Daily Journal, rebuffs many of the reasons the U.S. senator stated for opposing President Joe Biden's selection of Colom for a U.S. district judgeship in north Mississippi.

"I hope you will reconsider your views about my nomination," Colom wrote. "If there are other issues of concern to you, I would welcome the opportunity to address those, either in person or on a call."

A spokesperson for Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Brookhaven, did not respond to a request for comment, but the junior U.S senator has said she opposes Colom's nomination because of progressive organizations supporting his initial campaign for district attorney.

George Soros, a New York billionaire who backs some criminal justice reform efforts, gave money to Mississippi Safety and Justice, a political action committee that supported Colom's 2015 race for district attorney. Soros did not contribute to Colom's personal campaign.

"I never requested these funds from Mr. Soros," Colom's letter reads. "I did not know the money would be contributed — and did not even learn of the contributions until l read about them in my hometown paper."

A native of Columbus, Colom is the elected district attorney of the 16th Circuit Court District, which includes Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties. He is the first Black prosecutor in the circuit court district, winning that seat in 2015 by defeating the long-serving incumbent Forrest Allgood.

He ran unopposed for re-election 2019.

In a bid to bolster Colom's credentials as an advocate for victims and a foe of violent offenders, about 20 victims of crime or family members of violent crime victims in Colom's district wrote to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in support of his nomination, according to documents reviewed by the Daily Journal.

"Crime is not tolerated in his district and victims do not continue to pay a price under his watch," wrote Sharicka Gray in one such letter.

Another reason Hyde-Smith is blocking Colom's nomination is because of concerns about the prosecutor's opposition to "legislation to protect female athletes."

Hyde-Smith has not clarified the legislation to which she is referring, but Colom did sign a letter with other prosecutors across the country in June 2021 condemning efforts to criminalize gender-affirming care and transgender people.

"This statement that I signed did not comment on legislation specifically related to participation in athletics," Colom wrote to Hyde-Smith. "Moreover, I would note that if confirmed as a judge, any views I had about policy matters would be irrelevant to my daily work, and I would faithfully apply binding Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit precedent to the cases that came before me."

Hyde-Smith is able to thwart the nomination because of a longstanding tradition in the U.S. Senate that requires senators from a nominee's home state to submit "blue slips" if they approve of the candidate.

If both senators don't submit a blue slip, the nominee typically does not advance to a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, could upend the tradition and ignore Hyde-Smith's opposition by conducting a confirmation hearing for Colom.

A spokesperson for Durbin's office did not respond to a request for comment, but one told Mississippi Today that Durbin is "extremely disappointed" in Hyde-Smith's decision to block Colom and that he will "be assessing" the situation in the coming days.

Despite Hyde-Smith's opposition, Colom's nomination has attracted support from other Republicans in the state. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Tupelo, returned a blue slip for Colom.

The New York Times also reported that former Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, the person who first appointed Hyde-Smith to the Senate, and former Republican Gov. Haley Barbour also support the prosecutor's elevation to the federal bench.

"I have known two generations of the Colom family for over 20 years and believe Scott Colom possesses the discernment to be a fair and exemplary judge," Bryant told the New York Times.

U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills announced last year that he'll take senior status, creating the post to which Biden nominated Colom. With senior status, Mills said he will remain on the bench and hear a reduced caseload.

If the U.S. Senate was to confirm Colom, it would be a historic first for Mississippi. He would be the second Black judge in Mississippi's U.S. Northern District. Sitting District Judge Debra Brown is the first Black judge to serve in the Northern District and is only the third Black district court judge in Mississippi history.

taylor.vance@djournal.com