Just a few weeks ago, Judge Kacsmaryk was unknown to the general public. Today, following the suspension of US marketing authorization for mifepristone (RU 486), the main abortion pill in the United Statesthe judge who sits in North Texas spills a lot of ink.
Matthew Kacsmaryk, 45, has had a long career as a conservative. Before being appointed federal judge in Texas by Donald Trump in 2017, he notably worked as an attorney at the First Liberty Institute, a conservative Christian organization that specifically campaigns against abortion rights.
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He himself has never hidden his anti-abortion beliefs, reports our correspondent. Loubna Anaki. For example, in a 2015 article he wrote that he deplored the “sexual revolution (…) advocated by atheist libertarians” for which “marriage, sexuality, gender, identity and even children follow the wishes of adults.
According to American media, his commitment to life began after a personal tragedy. In 2006 her first child was stillborn. But his beliefs also stem from his Catholic upbringing and family. For example, he supported his sister, Jennifer Griffith, when she had a child and then was put up for adoption when she was 17. Asked by The Washington PostShe believes her brother was “made to judge” the pill case and “he’s exactly where he should be.” Matthew Kacsmaryk “is excited about the fact that you can’t preach against life and do nothing,” she adds.
“Victory for the Right”
When he was nominated in 2017, Senate Democrats accused him of failing to separate his personal beliefs from his legal decisions. After calling him “stubborn and bigoted,” Senator Chuck Schumer criticized him for displaying “a hostility bordering on paranoia towards the LGBTQ community.”
After The New York TimesCiting longtime friends of the Florida-born judge in 1977, Matthew Kacsmaryk was “a seasoned trial attorney, shaped by his religious upbringing and faith” and would “not go.” [pas] personal opinions influence a decision”. But that’s exactly what women’s rights organizations accuse her of today. He has been labeled an “extremist” by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Hakeem Jeffries, his successor, slammed a “rogue judge”.
Judge Kacsmaryk has always made sure that he makes his decisions impartially. “Nevertheless, many of his recent decisions have been victories for the right,” recalled the Washington Post. For example, in November 2022, he lifted the Biden administration’s health protections for LGBT people.
Regarding the abortion pill, the US President said he was determined to “fight” against this decision, which could end up in the Supreme Court.
(And with AFP)