Woman questions RI Supreme Court nominee Luis Matos' abortion views

A Woman’s Past Letter Questions Rhode Island Supreme Court Nominee’s Stance on Abortion

As Rhode Island lawmakers prepare to consider a lifetime appointment to its highest court, a woman from the nominee’s past has raised questions about his views on abortion, a deeply personal and politically charged issue. The Boston Globe reported that Amanda Nelson, who dated Judge Luis Matos in the 1990s, wrote to state leaders urging them to scrutinize his positions on reproductive rights before confirming him to the state Supreme Court.

The Allegations from Three Dec Ago

In an email dated Oct. 10, Nelson detailed a relationship with Matos, then a young attorney at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., that began in 1994. She was 24 years old. Nelson wrote that while she knew Matos was “staunchly pro-life,” the relationship ended unexpectedly after she became pregnant and sought an abortion. She described the experience of undergoing the procedure and being harassed by protesters outside a Planned Parenthood as “traumatic.”

“Mr. Matos shared lurid and graphic anecdotes with me about abortions gone wrong, doctors needing to declare emergency ‘code blue’ for fetuses,” Nelson wrote in the email, which was first reported by The Boston Globe. She said Matos urged her not to have the abortion, telling her about a woman he knew who became pregnant, raised the child as a single mother, and went on to Harvard Law School. Nelson countered that she had no plans to attend Harvard Law and offered to let Matos raise the child as a single father, a proposal he declined.

Woman questions RI Supreme Court nominee Luis Matos' abortion views — Photo: yahoo.com

The situation took a turn after the abortion, Nelson wrote, when her roommate ran into Matos at a bar the same evening. She described him as “partying, totally unconcerned,” an attitude she said signaled the end of their relationship. “I would hope his views and character have evolved over time,” she wrote, “but I think his position on women’s reproductive rights should be scrutinized before giving him a lifetime appointment where he is able to make decisions in this area.”

Nominee States Positions on Abortion

Facing these decades-old allegations, Matos issued a clear and direct statement. “I am pro-choice and have been for many years,” he said. “I am aware of an email that has been shared, and out of respect for the confirmation process, I will answer questions about this matter, my positions, and qualifications during the legislative hearings.” Matos did not deny the events Nelson described but framed them as part of his past, suggesting his views have evolved significantly over the course of his decades-long career in public service.

Woman questions RI Supreme Court nominee’s abortion views, citing past relationship

Gov. Dan McKee, who nominated Matos to fill the vacancy left by Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg’s retirement, stood firmly behind his choice. In his own statement, the governor emphasized Matos’s commitment to reproductive rights. “Judge Matos made clear to me that he firmly believes in a woman’s right to choose,” McKee said. He highlighted Matos’s extensive judicial record and his role in prosecuting high-profile corruption cases like Operation Dollar Bill, an investigation into bribery schemes involving state lawmakers and health care executives that Matos worked on after returning to Rhode Island in 2001.

House Speaker Christopher Blazejewski and Senate President Valarie Lawson said in a joint statement that the email raises serious questions that Matos should expect to address with Judiciary Committee members and other legislators in both chambers. They said they are committed to a full, fair, and diligent public hearing process.

Woman questions RI Supreme Court nominee's abortion views, citing past relationship

The Path Forward for Confirmation

The controversy has thrust the confirmation process into the spotlight, with legislative leaders signaling they will take the matter seriously.

The Senate has scheduled hearings for Nov. 17 and 18, with a potential floor vote on Dec. 1 and 2.

The House has yet to set a date for its hearings but has pledged a thorough review.

The stakes are high for Rhode Island, which, like many states, has been dealing with the legal and social changes following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Blazejewski, the House Speaker, emphasized this point, telling reporters, "Over the last few years we've fought very hard to protect reproductive rights in Rhode Island by codifying Roe v. Wade after the national decision that overturned that decision.”

Matos, 62, is a first-generation American who immigrated from Portugal in 1969 and grew up in Providence. He is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Connecticut School of Law. His career includes serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and a judge on the Rhode Island Superior Court since 2012. His nomination was chosen over former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, who stepped down from his leadership position to apply for the seat, sparking a legal battle over state ethics rules.

For now, the focus is on the upcoming legislative hearings. Nelson has clarified that she is not accusing Matos of any legal wrongdoing. Her goal, she said, is simply to ensure that lawmakers and the public are fully informed about the nominee’s past and present views before he is handed a lifetime appointment to the state’s highest court.