President Joe Biden’s judicial nominee Judge Kenly Kiya Kato laughed after being grilled during a hearing Tuesday by Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana.
During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Kennedy questioned Kato on the fourth amendment and the rules of search and seizure. “Can you tell me what the fourth amendment is,” asked Kennedy, “and the rule of search and seizure, and what the exceptions are?”
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Following Kato’s response, Kennedy then posed a scenario involving the necessity of a warrant for arrests.
“Suppose California said … ‘we’re not gonna file the exceptions here in California. If you want to arrest someone you better have a warrant.’ Can California do that?”
Kato seemed to avoid the question, to which Kennedy responded, “Come on, Judge, don’t dodge my question. This is really basic constitutional law.”
Kennedy repeated his questioning until realizing his time was finished.
Afterward, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee replied, “I want to congratulate the panel on facing the Kennedy Bar Exam, which, occasionally, is administered in this room.”
Kato can be seen be on camera laughing to herself in response to Durbin’s comments.
Biden announced Judge Kato as his nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Dec. 15, 2021. (RELATED: POLL: Majority Of Americans Say Biden Should ‘Consider All Possible’ Supreme Court Nominees)
Judge Kato had served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California since 2014 and practiced civil and criminal law from 2004-2014.