UH law students watch Kavanaugh, Ford testimonies carefully

HOUSTON – At the University of Houston Law School, the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh was must-see television Thursday.  

UH law student Jack DiSorbo said, "I think we've seen mostly what we expected to see. You know, you had the testimony both from (Christine Blasey Ford) and from (Brett) Kavanaugh. I read that. They repeated the same thing. I don't think there have been too many surprises."

The viewers watched the proceedings with a critical eye.

They are future attorneys watching as senators made statements and a special prosecutor asked questions.

"It's been really interesting to me because it seems more of a trial than a job interview to me. This for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court and there's a special prosecutor involved, which is kind of interesting. But I think, overall things have been conducted fairly thus far," UH law student Kristen Anderson said.

"I think back to when I was 8 years old and the Anita Hill hearings happening,” said UH Downtown Assistant Professor Creshema Murray. She said she watched the testimony during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings 27 years ago.  

"We're going to look back, similar to Anita Hill, and say that there are things that we could've done right as a country that we did not do," Murray said.

As claims of sexual assault took center stage, Houston Area Women’s Center Chief Program Officer Sonia Corrale said she hears from victims of abuse days, weeks, months or even years after incidents. She said some fear their cases will never be prosecuted.  

Corrale said, "They are afraid that the perpetrator might have threatened them. They're also afraid that maybe somehow they contributed to something and somehow it was their fault. They're afraid that they're going to get shamed in our society. That people are not going to believe them."  

She said if you are a victim of domestic violence, you can call the hotline at 713-528-2121 or help with sexual abuse at 713-528-7273.