Judges' Policy Choices and the Value Basis of Judicial Appointments: A Comparison of Support for Criminal Defendants among Nixon, Johnson, and Kennedy Appointees to the Federal District Courts

Using cases reported in the Federal Supplement, this study examines differences in support for criminal defendants among Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon appointees to the federal district courts. With controls for judicial era, region, and state, the research explores various legal and environmental constraints on presidential influences on the district judges. The findings lend support to value-based theories of judicial behavior, namely, that presidents do influence public policy through their judicial appointments. However, the results also reveal that the quantity and quality of presidential impact are shaped by numerous legal and extralegal factors, many of which are beyond the president's control.