The United States Supreme Court – No ‘Government-In-The-Sunshine’ here!
The news media reports the recent leak about abortion, as an ‘invasion of the judges privacy’.
But wouldn’t you think that the American People have every right to know what’s going on up there?
These people seem think that we should wait for their decision on what’s best for us, while they deny us the right to decide for ourselves.
(Kinda like ‘Big Brother in ‘1984’.
Fortunately, in the past, there has often been that one glimmer of freedom when a brave ‘insider’ told us what was going on.
Back in 1852, the New-York Tribune published the intended decision of Pennsylvania vs a Bridge Company which, probably was leaked by one of the justices,
So a so-called ‘leak’ is OK when they do it themselves?
Later, in 1857, Judge John Catron leaked to President-elect James Buchanan that they had decided that
Congress had no power to regulate slavery
In 1919 Ashton Embry, a former clerk of Justice Joseph McKenna was indicted, for leaking a pending decision on a railroad patent case. But it never went to trial after the chief witness was “accused of conspiring with the Germans (During World War I).
In 1977, Public Radio reported that, by a 5–3 vote, the Court would declined to review three cases in the notorious Nixon Watergate farce.
Only two years later, one of the their printers was ‘re-assigned’ for leaking several decisions to ABC.
And there were others.
Now, in 2022, we have the Roe v. Wade secret decision
Which, in fact was also leaked to Time Magazine back in the ‘70’s’.
This time of year, the Supreme Court Justices are exchanging hundreds of opinions with each other in order to make decisions in several cases, including ‘Rose -vs Wade’.
But the recent addition of several younger, extremist judges, has eliminated the opportunity of compromise.
Instead, the court is rife with distrust, including the law clerks, staff and, even, the justices themselves. Thus ignoring their obligation to interpret contentious issues with justice and impartiality.
This was confirmed recently by Justice Clarence Thomas who said that he no longer trusts his colleagues (Judges).
He said, “When you lose that trust, it changes the institution fundamentally. You begin to look over your shoulder. It’s kind of an infidelity that you can’t undo.”
Apparently Judge Roberts made a deal with his fellow bench-sitters, on the ‘Affordable Care Act’ and then changed his mind.
That was about 10 years ago and they are still sulking about it.
As I See It – Kinda pathetic, for you and me, but a disgrace for the judge on the U. S. Supreme Court..
The current Chief Justice says that the recent leak is “a betrayal” so he has ordered his marshals to capture the guilty party and jail them in ‘Siberia’. (Similar to how things are done in North Korea, Russia, China and many other wonderful countries.
Of course, those marshals have no qualifications or experience as investigators; and, in fact, nor do the nor do the Supreme Court police.
As I understand it, while the leak of a draft opinion might be a breach of ethics, in this case the document was not classified, so it’s not a crime.
Then, of course, they can’t search their employees computers and phones without a warrant.
This is a fact based on their own decision eight years ago when they said that the police could not search a phone without a warrant.
Presumably, if they tried to do it, the cases would be tried and then appealed to, guess who, the U. S. Supreme Court.
Would they then have to disqualify themselves due a ‘conflict of interest’.
What a farce.
Our Florida Governor is chasing Disney out of Orlando, so, it looks like they are re-locating to Washington DC!
Perhaps the ‘Good-Old-Days’ were good old days – for some, but not for others?
‘til next time. Stay safe. . . . .
