Supreme Court justices #Kagan and #Jackson went to Harvard (as undergraduates and law students). So did Roberts and Gorsuch (undergrads and law, as well). I think we can guess what the first two think of Harvard's excellent decision to refuse to get in line with Trump's demands. I wonder what the latter two think.
Maybe we'll find out.
Russian war in #Ukraine: #Trump Is Offering #Putin Another #Munich
#Hitler didn’t want a #peace deal, and neither does #Putin. By Robert #Kagan #TheAtlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/03/putin-hitler-munich-parallel/681973/
New leaks make clear that Justices #Jackson, #Kagan, and #Sotomayor wanted the #SCOTUS #CodeOfEthics to be enforceable. #Alito, #Gorsuch, #Roberts, and #Thomas did not.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/03/us/supreme-court-ethics-rules.html
The article is silent on #Kavanaugh and didn't identify the position of #Barrett.
Having an #oversight cmte made up of well-respected lower-court judges “seems like a good idea to me in terms of ensuring that we comply with our code of conduct going forward in the future; it seems like a good idea in terms of ensuring that people have confidence that we’re doing exactly that,” #Kagan said during a wide-ranging conversation at NYU #Law School w/professor Melissa Murray….
#SCOTUS adopted a code of conduct specific to the 9 justices last fall for the first time. But the policy was quickly panned because it does not include a way to examine alleged misconduct, review whether the justices have recused themselves when necessary, or clear or sanction justices who might violate the rules.
“I just think judges are not so afraid of us. I think there are plenty of judges around this country who could do a task like that in a very fair-minded & serious way” #Kagan said.
Kagan was expanding on her recent suggestion that Chief Justice #JohnRoberts appoint an outside panel of highly experienced judges to review allegations of wrongdoing or #recusal decisions by the justices, some of whom face questions over unreported gifts & conflicts of interest in key cases.
#Justice #Kagan: Lower court #judges could enforce #SCOTUS #ethics code
Interviewed at NYU #law school, Justice #ElenaKagan also discussed the emergency docket & the historic number of women on the high court.
Justice Elena Kagan on Mon brushed aside concerns about whether lower-court judges could effectively enforce the #SupremeCourt’s new ethics rules, saying those on the federal bench are more than capable of holding justices to account.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/09/supreme-court-kagan-melissa-murray/
Harris backs Biden's supreme court reforms
Kamala Harris has endorsed Joe Biden’s push for supreme court reforms
that include term limits for justices,
a binding code of conduct
and a constitutional amendment to remove immunity for crimes committed by a president while in office.
“President Biden and I strongly believe that the American people must have confidence in the supreme court,” she said in a statement.
Yet today, there is a clear crisis of confidence facing the supreme court as its fairness has been called into question after numerous ethics scandals and decision after decision overturning long-standing precedent.
Harris added:
These popular reforms will help to restore confidence in the court, strengthen our democracy and ensure no one is above the law."
#immunity #immunity #terms #limited #stricter #enforceable #rules #Kagan #Thomas #Alito
Biden calls for supreme court reforms including 18-year justice term limits
Joe Biden has called for a series of ⭐️reforms to the US supreme court,
⭐️including the introduction of term limits for justices
and a
⭐️constitutional amendment to remove immunity for crimes committed by a president while in office.
In an op-ed published on Monday morning, the president said justices should be🔸 limited to a maximum of 18 years’ service on the court
rather than the current lifetime appointment,
and also said 🔸ethics rules should be strengthened to regulate justices’ behavior.
The call for reform comes after the supreme court ruled in early July that former presidents have some degree of #immunity from prosecution,
a decision that served as a major victory for Donald Trump amid his legal travails.
“This nation was founded on a simple yet profound principle:
⭐️No one is above the law.⭐️
Not the president of the United States.
Not a justice on the Supreme Court of the United States,” Biden wrote.
“I served as a US senator for 36 years, including as chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.
I have overseen more Supreme Court nominations as senator, vice president and president than anyone living today.
“I have great respect for our institutions and separation of powers.
♦️What is happening now is not normal, ♦️and it undermines the public’s confidence in the court’s decisions,
including those impacting personal freedoms.
We now stand in a breach.”
Biden called for a
⭐️“no one is above the law” amendment⭐️ to the constitution,
which would make clear that no president is entitled to #immunity from prosecution by virtue of having served in the White House.
Biden also said justices’ #terms should be #limited to 18 years,
under a system where a new justice would be appointed to the supreme court by the serving president every two years.
The president also called for #stricter, #enforceable #rules on conduct which would require justices to disclose gifts,
refrain from political activity,
and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial interest.
Last week Justice Elena #Kagan called for the court to strengthen the ethics code it introduced in 2023
by adding a way to enforce it.
That code was introduced after a spate of scandals involving rightwing justices on the court:
Clarence #Thomas was found to have accepted vacations and travel from a Republican mega-donor,
while Samuel #Alito flew on a private jet owned by an influential billionaire on the way to a fishing trip.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/29/biden-us-supreme-court-reforms?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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