In response to reports that President-Elect Biden will nominate Judge Merrick Garland as Attorney General, Greenpeace Democracy Campaign Director Folabi Olagbaju, says:
“It remains to be seen if Merrick Garland’s middle of the road approach will be sufficient in this time of reckoning. The criminal justice system is in desperate need of an overhaul, and while Garland’s “impartiality” is touted by some as favorable in these tumultuous times, many think Garland is too moderate and want a more transformative Biden Cabinet.
“The Attorney General should fight injustice, dismantle systemic racism, restore voting rights, protect dissent and the right to protest, and hold dirty fossil fuel corporations accountable for pollution and climate change deception. The diverse coalition that elected Biden has expectations about overhauling the criminal justice system and more. Strengthening the DoJ’s Civil Rights Division, Environmental Crimes Section and Environmental and Natural Resources Division, and more actively supporting voting rights would be steps in the right direction. It is yet to be seen if Garland and his team at DOJ will fulfill that mandate. But, we will be there every step of the way to make sure they do.”
