Editorial: The Supreme Court needs Ketanji Brown Jackson’s experience

Some Republican senators argue that Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s experience as a public defender shows that she is “soft on crime.” Those ridiculous assertions, certain to be repeated at her confirmation hearings this week, are tantamount to arguing that defending a person accused (rightly or wrongly) of a crime is essentially the same as advocating for the crime itself.

In defending their clients, public defenders defend the Constitution. Their job is to hold the zealous and