Chatham County judges react to first Black woman Supreme Court justice

It was a day 232 years in the making.

Speaking to a crowd on the White House lawn that included President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Federal appeals court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson thanked her family and mentors for their support as she was confirmed as the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I am feeling up to the task, primarily because I know that I am not alone. I am standing on the shoulders of my own role models, generations of Americans who never had anything close to this kind of opportunity but who got up every day and went to work believing in the promise of America, showing others through their determination and, yes, their perseverance that good things can be done in this great country....” Jackson said, continuing with her speech which served as an ode to her ancestors, her mentors, loved ones, and her parents, all of whom she credits with preparing her for this historic moment.

Opinion: Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation to the Supreme Court is a first, but not a last

Jackson will become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court as early as June, when Justice Stephen Breyer is set to retire.

“What this speaks to about us as a nation is that even though change is incremental, change occurs,” Georgia Supreme Court Justice Verda Colvin told the Savannah Morning News. Colvin, who has served as Assistant Solicitor for the Solicitor's Office in Athens-Clarke County and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Middle District of Georgia, was making campaign calls when she heard the news.

“I was happy for her. I felt a sigh of relief to know that she had gotten through that hurdle, and it just made me so incredibly proud for her.”

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Jackson’s nomination was a sobering moment for Chatham County judges Lisa Colbert, Roxanne Formey and Tammy Stokes. All three women are the first Black women to serve as superior court judge, magistrate court judge and recorders court judge in Chatham County, respectively.

In 2004 Stokes became the first Black woman to sit on the Chatham County Recorder’s Court judgeship. She happened to be on the phone at the time when she saw an email come through announcing the Jackson's confirmation.

"I'm so proud of what she brings to the table. It just feels right," Stokes said. "I have confidence she'll do the right things. Just as she stood up to hours of grueling questioning, I'm sure she's up for the task of this role. I expect her to perhaps deal with some scrutiny, some that we'll know about, perhaps publicly, a lot that that we won't know of."

More: Roxanne Formey named new Chatham County Juvenile Court judge

'I want to get this right'

Colbert heard the news as she was listening to the radio on her way home from work. She, like Stokes, is happy for the younger generation coming up that gets to witness a historic moment. Colbert specifically spoke of her daughters, who had already seen her become the first Black woman to serve as superior court judge in Chatham County just last year.

"They have not grown up with the barriers that I grew up seeing and even to the extent they have not seen people who look like them in certain roles,” Colbert said. “That has not stopped them from believing that they can do whatever they put their mind and their efforts to. I think this just goes a long way to reinforce that for them.”

Colbert said when you're a first at anything, there's always added pressure, "I think it adds an added layer of 'I want to get this right' because I don't want to discourage anyone else from seeking the opportunity, and I certainly don't want anyone to feel like, 'Oh, she's done a disservice to women of color.'"

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Formey was still taking the confirmation in Monday afternoon when she spoke with the SMN. “I think it gave a voice to all the Black women judges and lawyers who every day put their whole self into their work, and to see that kind of reward happen for her was also a reward for us in a lot of ways," she said. Formey was appointed to the Chatham County Juvenile Court in 2020. She is the first Black woman to sit on the Chatham County Magistrate Court.

Despite the confirmation, Stokes admitted she was still nervous going into last Thursday’s vote. “When I heard senator after senator speak about her qualifications, her experience, how she checked all the boxes, but (said): ‘No, I will not be supporting her nomination’” was when she grew concerned.

Stokes said being a first is "humbling, but it also comes with a different level of scrutiny that others may not have had to deal with or have to deal with. How do you do what you do? How are you thinking? What is your competency? All of those things seem to have a bigger magnifying glass on it."

Questioning Qualifications

That magnifying glass shined over Jackson's confirmation hearings as she was questioned by Republican senators who largely critiqued her handling of child molestation cases and disagreed with her judicial philosophy.

“I’ve also spent the better part of the past decade hearing thousands of cases and writing hundreds of opinions. And in every instance, I have done my level best to stay in my lane and to reach a result that is consistent with my understanding of the law and with the obligation to rule independently without fear or favor,” Jackson told a crowd outside the White House last week.

More: Chatham sheriff, former Savannah mayor early endorsers of Tammy Stokes as superior court judge

Colbert noted that judges are often hesitant to discuss their rulings and said they “often get a snapshot of what been going on in a person’s life” be it from papers filed with the court, attorneys or anyone else who’s providing information to the judge.

She also raised concerns about the questions that centered critical race theory, such as questions about what children’s books are in Jackson's daughter’s school library. “I didn’t quite understand that line of questioning.”

Stokes added, “Unfortunately, it’s probably way too familiar to too many people who look like me,” saying she figured the confirmation would happen, “but when you get to a margin of (six), that’s scary.”

Asked if she felt some of the questioning was because Jackson is a Black woman, Stokes said, “Unfortunately, yes... I don’t think there’s any other way to answer that question.”

Formey refrained from criticizing any one senator or specific questions but said, “Ultimately, the questioning wasn’t about her because if it had been about her, we would have been able to see the depth of her qualifications more. But I think she speaks for herself and was able to show who she was and her qualifications.”

The next generation

Despite the questioning, the judges noted Jackson's confirmation reaffirmed being a Supreme Court justice was achievable.

"I think, what's amazing about it is we'll have a whole generation of kids who will not know anything different, and will understand this to be something they can aspire to," Formey said.

"We grew up in a time where we were hoping that these things happened, and our parents and grandparents fought very hard for us to be able to achieve what we've achieved," Formey continued, "and (the current generation) can actually see that come into fruition and not worry about whether it could happen. It's just something they know and that's progress."

Colvin emphasized Jackson's confirmation highlights the need to have diverse voices not just on the Supreme Court, but outside of it as well.

"I think it stands to reason to me that if you bring different people from different vantage points, different life experiences, the result that you get at the end product will be that much better."

Colbert said the biggest takeaway is for younger people to see the possibilities: "Even if you're taking a path that others before you have not taken, don't let that discourage you from dreaming and dreaming big."

Raisa is a watchdog and investigative reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at rhabersham@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County judges react to Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation