Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Kennedy (R-LA) eviscerated a Biden judicial nominee on Wednesday over her 2022 recommendation that a transgender serial rapist, William McClain (aka July Justine Shelby) be housed in a women’s prison despite previous convictions for raping children and possessing child pornography.
The Senators grilled U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn, who was nominated to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Netburn transferred McClain despite an objection from the Board of Prisons.
In a handwritten note, McClain (Shelby) said he feared for his health, safety and life and suffered from gender dysphoria (of course a convicted child rapist wouldn’t expect to fare well in prison).
“Miss Shelby said I don’t want to go to a male prison. I want to go to a female prison,” Kennedy told Netburn. “And the Board of Prisons said ‘What planet did you parachute in from? You’re going to a male prison with this kind of record.’ And you sent him to a female prison, did you? You said that the Board of Prisons was trying to violate Ms Shelby, former Mr. McClain’s, constitutional right, didn’t you?”
Kennedy pointed out that Shelby was convicted for molesting a 9-year-old boy and raping a 17-year-old girl, and had sent child porn to other sex offenders.
“I issued a report and recommendation to the district judge recommending that the district judge transfer the petitioner to a women’s facility,” Netburn replied. “My recommendation was that the petitioner’s serious medical needs were being denied by keeping her in a men’s facility.”
“So you took a six-foot-two serial rapist. Serial child rapist with male genitalia,” Cruz continued. “And he said, you know, I’d like to be in a women’s prison. And your answer was, ‘That sounds great to me.’ Let me ask you something. The other women in that prison, do they have any rights?