Fried, while calling the temper outburst "amistake," has maintained that he had a right tothrow the protesting students out of his office.
"It's completely inconsistent behavior withrespect for law and orderly behavior," Fried toldthe Crimson last June.
Abortion
Opponents also alleged that Fried has"flip-flopped" his views on a woman's right to anabortion.
As Solicitor General under Ronald Reagan, Friedargued to overturn Roe v. Wade, whichguaranteed a woman's right to choose abortion.Fried's actions as Solicitor General have angeredmany women's groups, most notably the GreaterBoston Chapter of the National Organization forWomen, which organized a rally Tuesday to protestFried's nomination.
Fried has maintained that he was arguing notout of personal conviction but as a representativeof the Reagan Administration.
"I will uphold the precedents and federaldecisions which have been made," Fried said inJune.
And Rudenstine defended Fried's change inviews.
"He can change his mind," Rudenstine said,according to the Associated Press. "He has doneso, and he will do so."
Other witnesses protested Fried's nomination onthe grounds that he is not a minority and will notcontribute to the diversity of the SJC.
The candidate, in his own testimony,anticipated many of the attacks made against himand defended his temperament to the council.
"I want to be a judge out of love for ourliberty, our laws and our constitution," Friedsaid in his opening remarks on Tuesday, accordingto the Boston Globe. He pledged that he would cometo the bench "with no project, no agenda--only tolisten to the arguments in each case as it comesbefore me."
After the conclusion of the hearings, Leelabeled the proceedings "wonderful, even from theviewpoint of Charles Fried."
"What happened was that the voice of thecitizens was heard," Lee said. "The process washandled with tremendous respect for theseriousness of what was at stake."
The Governor's Council is set to interviewFried without further witnesses present nextWednesday. A decision is expected by August 30