Davis deserves confirmation
Professor Carl Tobias' article in Tuesday's paper ("Fill the 4th Circuit's vacancies now," Oct. 6) is right on the money. Judge Andre Davis is in limbo all because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will not push for a full floor vote to elevate Judge Davis to the 4th Circuit, thus leaving "only" four other vacancies.
I used to believe the federal judiciary was the most efficient branch of government in the history of the world. But now Senator Reid is in effect telling the poor saps on the 4th Circuit, "Dig a hole six feet deep; just don't use a shovel." It's a disgrace.
A lifelong Republican, I have been before Judge Davis (a Clinton appointee) a number of times. He couldn't care less who wins, and he is fair and courteous as can be, but he demands your best and will not hesitate to inform you if you fall short. That's just what today's lawyers need - an occasional kick in the pants.
Best of all, and what makes him most qualified, is the control he has over his docket. District judges carry a caseload of 350 to 450 cases. Somehow he has adopted procedures that get every case moving - and that's what clients want more than anything.
For a man to have given over a decade of his life to see justice fulfilled by being on top of his docket and to be rewarded with such senatorial nonchalance is a thumb in the eye to all sitting district court judges. Senator Reid, how about attending one less fund-raiser held in your honor and try a dose of selflessness and give this man named Davis a chance? You'll be glad you did.
Jeff Cook
Md. must reform mental health services
I would like to commend Meredith Cohn for her outstanding article on mental health reform in Sunday's Sun ("A cry for mental health change," Oct. 4). She not only put a human face on the problems facing individuals with mental illness, but she also highlighted an excellent organization in our community, NAMI of Metropolitan Baltimore. NAMI has done so much to improve the quality of lives of individuals with mental illness and their families.
Ms. Cohn's article pointed out that the issue of insurance coverage confounds individuals' access to proper mental health care. The problem is complicated, however, by the fact that state governments establish much of the policy that directs mental health care, particularly for those individuals who are impoverished or uninsured. Maryland, with its six mental health institutions, is one of the top five states in per-capita spending on state mental health hospitals. At close to $200,000 per patient per year, the state has diverted significant resources from the community mental health system to prop up antiquated institutions.
