NCJW opposes Robert Chamberlin. Here’s why:
Whether as a Mississippi state legislator or as a Justice on the Mississippi Supreme Court, Justice Chamberlin has shown a hostility to constitutional rights that calls into question his ability to be a fair and independent federal judge. He has worked to elevate Christianity in public institutions in the state, restrict abortion rights, and narrow voting rights, among other troubling efforts.
Robert Chamberlin’s stance on important issues:
Abortion Rights
During his time in the state legislature, Robert Chamberlin worked to restrict abortion rights and advance fetal personhood, co-sponsoring a bill to revise the state’s homicide and assault statutes to expand the definition of ‘human being’ to an ‘unborn child’ at every stage of gestational development. He introduced a bill to allow providers, institutions, and insurers to refuse abortion care, jeopardizing critical care for those in emergency situations.
Church-State Separation
As a state senator, Mr. Chamberlin introduced a bill mandating the display of “In God We Trust” in every public-school classroom. Later, as a state supreme court justice, he authored the majority opinion in a case that held that taxpayers lacked standing to challenge the constitutionality of public funds being diverted to private schools, including religious schools, which prevented parents and community groups from holding the state accountable for undermining public education funding.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Robert Chamberlin introduced a bill banning same-sex couples from adopting children and declared that Mississippi would not recognize same-sex marriages performed outside of the state.
Voting Rights
Mr. Chamberlin introduced SB2250, a restrictive voter ID law, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2014 Shelby County v. Holder decision which gutted the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act.
Education and Career Highlights:
Robert Chamberlin earned his BA from the University of Mississippi in 1987 and his JD from the University of Mississippi Law Center in 1990. In 2000, he was elected to the Mississippi State Senate until 2004. He then became a Circuit Court Judge for Mississippi’s Seventeenth Judicial District, where he presided from 2004-2017 after which he was appointed Associate Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court. He began his legal career in private practice.