After Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, effective July 31st, U.S. President, Donald Trump, announced his new Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.

In late July, as Kavanaugh began the nomination process, a woman named Christine Blasey Ford contacted California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein through a letter in which she informed Feinstein that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her at a party when they were both in their teens (early 1980s). She requested to keep the matter confidential, Feinstein agreed and Kavanaugh moved forward through the nomination process.

However, on September 12th, and the few days following it, media outlets leaked Feinstein withholding a document detailing an accusation against Kavanaugh that could affect his confirmation. As the media pressed Feinstein to release the letter, she forwarded it to the FBI. News outlets such as The New Yorker, CNN and The Washington Post published reports on the incident, keeping Ford anonymous. The senate postponed Kavanaugh’s confirmation process as they looked into the allegations. Soon after, two other women came out with claims of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh.

The focus remained on Ford’s accusations, since they were seen as the most credible, and the senate held a hearing for the case on the 27th where they were all able to ask both Ford and Kavanaugh questions about what happened. Ford presented no evidence that the party or the assault happened at all. She called to multiple witnesses, all who claimed they either had no idea if the assault happened, or completely denied that it could have. Kavanaugh, however, offered up the detailed calendars he had kept, almost like a diary, since his teen years. They showed that Kavanaugh had never attended a party like the one Ford claims the assault took place.

The democratic party continued to press against Kavanaugh, many requesting for Kavanaugh to prove his innocence through an FBI investigation. The senate scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh the next day, but after pressure from the public, the democratic party, and now a member of the republican party, President Trump agreed to forward this case to the FBI for investigation.

Dr. Ford does not even remember where exactly the assault took place, how she got to the alleged party, how she got home, or when, other than a guess of the year, it took place. When someone, gets attacked or assaulted, the trauma will ensure they remember everything. What the attacker looked like, what they did afterwards, who they told first, if anyone. Since Ford has no evidence, this case should never have gone as far as it has. The burden of proof lies in the hands on the accuser, not the accused. This case has destroyed a man’s name, with no proof against him at all.

On October 6th, Kavanaugh joined the Supreme Court with a narrow 50-48 vote by the Senate. Following his confirmation, Dr. Ford released a statement saying she does not wish for Kavanaugh’s impeachment, and has no intention of further pursuing the allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh.