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stuffmatters

(2,574 posts)
15. Putting SCOTUS under the Federal Judicial Roles/Ethics would be a start
Sat Jul 5, 2014, 05:29 PM
Jul 2014

Right now SCOTUS is immune to even the Federal Judicial rules of ethics and behavior. They have no body of rules
constraining their behavior. Even if one of them got disbarred, they could remain on the Supreme Court.
Maybe if they were accused of a major crime & sent to prison, the fact that they couldn't show up for work might put them out. But current evidence of the rightest 4's imperviousness to public opinion or common decency promise that those justices would still fight tooth and nail to stay on SCOTUS.

This lack of prosecutable judicial ethics for SCOTUS has come up most often re:Clarence Thomas. Witnesses have surfaced over the years confirming Anita hill's charges so he both violated the law & gained SCOTUS by lying. Thomas is also probably the most personally enriched by the KOCH BROS & billionaire minions, including accepting lavish gifts & funding for Museum/Foundation to his Mother in GA. He also signed felonious (under clear penalty of perjury stated right on the form) SCOTUS/IRS annual income statement for many years. Finally his "household" income soared using his judicial insider trader
knowledge to enrich his wife's "LIBERTY/FREEDOM" RWNJ Slushfund months prior to public announcement of CITIZENS UNITED decision. There are also no enforceable SCPTUS recusal rules, a principle Thomas more than anyone has ignored.

If there's ever a Dem majority in the House and the Senate again, first order would be to make the Federal Judicial rules apply to SCOTUS. ( Second on my "If Ever" wish list would be to grant Wash DC fair representation in the Senate and House instead of its residents' impotence now. Third would be to have national elections determined by popular vote. And fourth Overturn Citizen's United.) Just those four immediate actions could do wonders for restoring our democracy.






Impeachment, but I don't believe any have ever been removed. louis-t Jul 2014 #1
Removal of SCOTUS justices Dale Neiburg Jul 2014 #4
IMO a few of them sure are the test case for insanity! n/t RKP5637 Jul 2014 #9
i would think some of the current crop qualify for impeachment samsingh Jul 2014 #12
That is a urban myth. former9thward Jul 2014 #21
here's the language - i wish it were only an urban myth samsingh Jul 2014 #22
No, that language does not mean anything. former9thward Jul 2014 #24
OK which is it? rock Jul 2014 #30
Posters have said over and over again former9thward Jul 2014 #34
OK thanks rock Jul 2014 #35
It is not your fault. former9thward Jul 2014 #36
None have ever been removed. former9thward Jul 2014 #20
They die. Only one has alsame Jul 2014 #2
Thanks! n/t RKP5637 Jul 2014 #8
A pitchfork? Jacoby365 Jul 2014 #3
Don't forget the torches! n/t RKP5637 Jul 2014 #11
I don't know... ReRe Jul 2014 #5
We're in deep trouble with a few of these jokers IMO. n/t RKP5637 Jul 2014 #10
Five of them... ReRe Jul 2014 #16
Usually, a coffin. longship Jul 2014 #6
Feet first. Cayenne Jul 2014 #7
I can't see why these were life appointments. ... has always been a RKP5637 Jul 2014 #13
It's to provide continuity Goblinmonger Jul 2014 #19
Ah, yes, I remember that now from years ago in school, exactly, to provide RKP5637 Jul 2014 #23
Rule written when life expectancy was early 60s. HooptieWagon Jul 2014 #26
I've always wondered about that ... people develop all types of problems ... are RKP5637 Jul 2014 #27
Only two ways to revisit that customerserviceguy Jul 2014 #33
It is in the Constitution yeoman6987 Jul 2014 #29
Yes, I agree, it does lend continuity. It's a damn shame SCOTUS has become a political arm, more RKP5637 Jul 2014 #31
So far, they haven't been. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2014 #14
Putting SCOTUS under the Federal Judicial Roles/Ethics would be a start stuffmatters Jul 2014 #15
LBJ got Authur Goldberg to leave the Court in 1965. femmocrat Jul 2014 #17
Retire or die. nt COLGATE4 Jul 2014 #18
Die davidpdx Jul 2014 #25
Exactly three ways, 1. Retire, 2. Die, 3. Impeached by congress nt stevenleser Jul 2014 #28
By angry AKKKers? nt valerief Jul 2014 #32
I suggest five doses of industrial-strength laxative. Orrex Jul 2014 #37
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