MicroWave

“Out of control”: Legal experts call for recusal, reform over Stop the Steal symbol at Alito home

https://lemmy.world/post/15531789

“Out of control”: Legal experts call for recusal, reform over Stop the Steal symbol at Alito home - Lemmy.World

Legal experts say its time for the Supreme Court’s ethics code to grow some teeth Legal experts are lamenting the lack of an enforceable judicial ethics code, with some calling for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s recusal, following a New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/us/justice-alito-upside-down-flag.html] report that a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement to reject the 2020 election was flown outside Alito’s home in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Ten leading legal experts told Salon Friday that the conduct — the flying of an upside-down flag, a known symbol of the movement to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, at a justice’s home — appears to violate the Supreme Court’s own ethics code [https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/Code-of-Conduct-for-Justices_November_13_2023.pdf], adopted last last year, by creating an appearance of bias. Those experts said it’s far past time for the nine justices who enjoy lifetime appointments to hold themselves to the highest ethical standards. But, they noted, the Supreme Court has shown itself reluctant to do so. “The situation is out of control,” Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush who worked with Justice Alito on his 2006 Senate confirmation, told Salon. “This is after the insurrection, so it’s really him weighing in, getting involved publicly in a dispute over the insurrection.”

May 18, 2024 at 10:35amWeb
Show threadrayyyMay 18, 2024
Thomas AND Alito are unquestionably in Donald Von Shitzinpantz’s diaper.
Show threadpearsaltchocolatebarMay 18, 2024
Putin’s diaper*
Show threadTheLowestStoneMay 18, 2024
It’s all the same diaper
Show threadirreticentMay 18, 2024
It’s like those Russian nesting dolls, but it’s nesting diapers.
Show threadkent_ehMay 18, 2024
Matryoshka diaper
Show threadsnekerpimpMay 18, 2024
Every judge appointed by the orange sandwich is illegitimate and needs to be removed
Show threadViking_HippieMay 18, 2024
Same goes for the other ones to be nominated by a president who lost the vote for president (Alito and Roberts), and the other likely sex offender whose victim(s) never got a fair hearing or investigation, Clarence Brown.
Show threadsnooggumsMay 18, 2024

Clarence Brown.

Clarence Thomas, as in uncle Tom.

Show threadViking_HippieMay 18, 2024
That’s the one, yeah. The one who said that there’s no loss of dignity inherent to slavery.
Show threadtimespaceMay 19, 2024
I…what? Do you mean lost the popular vote?
Show threadViking_HippieMay 19, 2024
Yes. That’s how democracy is supposed to work: the candidate whom the most people want to win, wins.
Show threadtimespaceMay 19, 2024
But that’s not how our system is setup. If you have a problem, talk or do something about the electoral college. But to pretend legally and legitimately elected presidents who won within the rules of the system as were defined at the time of their running are somehow illegitimate is some wonky revisionist history.
Show threadViking_HippieMay 19, 2024

Nah, you’re only legitimate if the people chose you.

If you were installed by an archaic system from the 1700s designed to give empty land as much of a say as actual humans, even though the people preferred your opponent, then you’re not legitimate.

Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical rural tradition.

Show threadtimespaceMay 19, 2024
And yet, you’re wrong aren’t you?
Show threadViking_HippieMay 19, 2024

Nope. I just don’t automatically consider the system infallible and correct.

Legitimate presidents get elected, not appointed via an antidemocratic mechanism that hasn’t been excised because too many rich and powerful people benefit from it.

Show threadtimespaceMay 19, 2024
And yet, they are.
Show threadViking_HippieMay 20, 2024
Not legitimately, no. Your comprehension seems lacking.
Show threadtimespaceMay 20, 2024
I’m comprehension is fine. Your understanding of how presidents are elected in this country seems lacking.
Show threadViking_HippieMay 20, 2024

I’m comprehension is fine.

The irony 😄

Your understanding of how presidents are elected in this country seems lacking.

I understand just fine. Knowing how the system works and agreeing with it are two separate things.

Just because the president isn’t selected by popular vote doesn’t mean that the legitimacy of a president selected after losing the popular vote isn’t suspect as best.

If a beer drinking contest was the decider rather than the electoral college, would you still say that President Dale would be the legitimate president for drinking Biden and Trump under the table after receiving 4 write-in votes?

Show threadtimespaceMay 23, 2024

Lulz. 😂

Anyway, I’m not an advocate for the EC, I think the winner should be the winner of the popular vote. But that’s not the system we have. You can’t say The Chiefs aren’t legitimate SB champs because you don’t agree with some rule in place. That’s just not how it works. I mean, you can, but no one is going to take you seriously.

If you have an issue with the EC, talk about that. But to say every president elected by the EC and not popular vote is illegitimate is just nonsense.

Show threaddisguy_ovaheaMay 18, 2024

Unfortunately, that’s extremely unlikely. The last Supreme Court Justice to be impeached was Samuel Chase in 1805. He was acquitted and continued to serve until his death.

They remain seated until they choose to step down or die. The average Justice serves for 16 years, but have served for as long as 34 years. Trump fucked a generation in one term.

Show threadexplodicleMay 18, 2024
Can’t Biden just expand it?
Show threaddisguy_ovaheaMay 18, 2024

Expand what? The Supreme Court? That requires congressional action. It’s happened several times before.

constitution.congress.gov/…/ALDE_00013559/

Show threadirreticentMay 18, 2024

Expand what?

Alito’s O-ring.

Show threadDaleGribble88May 18, 2024
Yes, but the political blowback from both parties would likely not be worth it. Especially because Republicans would immediately add double the amount Biden would, and it would very likely quickly grow into full bore shenanigans.
Show threadPfeffyMay 19, 2024
We can’t fight back ever because the other side might fight back even more. So let’s just capituate now. Story of Democrats my entire life. At best.
Show threadcmbabulMay 19, 2024
I’ve been convinced we were verging on a civil conflict of some kind for quite a while and terrified of the potential outcomes of that conflict, but I reached a point recently where I’m increasingly afraid that the consequences might actually be worse if there isn’t one. Our current system wasn’t designed to get major overhauls, we were supposed to make incremental changes to it as we went along but that hasn’t happened in 50 years
Show threadsnekerpimpMay 18, 2024
Copy/paste response. You do a lot of that with your comments. Like there is a set list of comments you respond from.
Show threaddisguy_ovaheaMay 18, 2024
Again, it’s the same reply to the same comment to the same post in politics. Is it wrong to have the same opinion when I see the same comment only minutes later? You made the initial comment that I replied to in both places.
Show threadjorpMay 19, 2024
It’s like they don’t realize that having non-violent ways of affecting change are important because otherwise people will turn to violent ways after a certain point.
Show threadtimespaceMay 19, 2024

I’m as anti Trump as anyone, but I have some bad news for you - he was legitimately voted into office as the President and his appointments are therefore legitimate.

What McConnell did in blocking Obama’s appointment should be criminal. That BS needs to change.

Show threadirreticentMay 19, 2024

he was legitimately voted into office as the President

…by the electoral college. Remember, he lost the popular vote.

Show threadtimespaceMay 19, 2024
Which is, unfortunately, how we elect the president in this country. He won.
Show threadPrettyFlyForAFatGuyMay 20, 2024

People keeping saying this like it means he didn’t win.

He won the game according to the games rules.

The games rules being unfair is a completely separate conversation

Show threadCybermonk_TaijiMay 20, 2024
And through foreign interference campaigns that should be legitimately taken as acts of war.
Show threadFlying SquidMay 18, 2024

Alito’s response: “Ha ha, fuck you. I do what I want.”

You can call for America’s Mullahs to do things, but they won’t do them because they don’t have to.

Show threadoctopus_inkMay 18, 2024
So based on how things have gone so far with the fascist in chief, we can expect no consequences at all, or that he will die of old age before any such consequences can be agreed upon. Sound about right?
Show threadHopeOfTheGunbladeMay 18, 2024
Literally impossible right now. It'd take a 2/3ds senate majority to remove him.
Show threadoctopus_inkMay 18, 2024
So pretty much as predicted. 😬
Show threadgivesomefucksMay 18, 2024

I hate that attitude…

When the English told wealthy American smugglers that they’d have to pay the taxes they should have always been paying, did this wealthy Americans say “there’s nothing we can do?”

Nope.

The paid people to dress up as Native Americans, threw some tea into a harbor, and created their own country.

When they said we were a democracy, but only wealthy white males could vote, did women and other races just accept it because that was the rule?

No, they fought for decades to be included.

So when I see another American throw their fucking hands up and say we can’t try to fix a problem because the problem is legal…

Where did you learn that shit?

This is motherfucking America where the only rule that can never be changed is “might makes right”.

Conservatives 100% operate under that rule and nothing else. If they can get away with something, they can do it.

You think if they needed to they wouldn’t throw a SC in jail and sit someone else in that chair?

If we want to fix the country we need to stop being the only ones caring about the rule book and checking it before we do anything.

Arrest Alito’s ass for sedetion and acts against the US government.

Show threadFlying SquidMay 18, 2024

You seem to have ignored your own key word at the start there. That key word being ‘wealthy.’

Yes, when the wealthy revolt, things get done. No one suggests otherwise.

Show threadHopeOfTheGunbladeMay 18, 2024

Well, I can't do an arrest. Can you do an arrest? I'm guessing you can neither arrest nor prosecute. If you can, by all means. I look forward to hearing about it. But I don't expect to. I expect that that is not a solution that will be employed. John Oliver tried an extrajudicial offer to Clarence Thomas, and he doesn't seem to have accepted that. So there don't appear to be any remedies within the system, adjacent to the system, or near the system. And somehow, I also doubt I'll hear about you throwing his tea into the harbor.

Who bells the cat?

Show threadgivesomefucksMay 18, 2024

If my name was Joe Biden and I controlled the federal government, yeah, I could do all that…

Trump’s openly talking about doing that for the wrong reasons, just charging anyone who doesn’t like him and throwing them in jail.

There are valid reasons here:

Sedetion and acts against the federal government. Hell, I’m sure we can throw some conspiracy charges in there, maybe some racketeering?

Did you know we have this place called Gitmo where we don’t even have to give people trials for this shit?

I was actually there before, the iguanas are cool, but it’s incredibly depressing. The people stationed there get turnt up when another ship comes in tho, everybody that could had taken the day off and were waiting at the bar just to see some new faces.

But tere’s a lot of people imprisoned there that have done far less to damage America than Alito.

Show threadHopeOfTheGunbladeMay 18, 2024
So you can't do it, I can't do it, nobody we know can do it. Maybe write Joe a letter or something?
Show threadgivesomefucksMay 19, 2024

Maybe write Joe a letter or something?

I mean, if nationwide protests don’t work, I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a letter.

But it won’t hurt, so go for it.

Show threadAngryCommieKenderMay 18, 2024
Citizens arrests are a thing. Not sure how they work though
Show threadHopeOfTheGunbladeMay 18, 2024
I think there has to be an actual crime, directly witnessed.
Show threadGot_BentMay 18, 2024
There’s pretty much zero oversight for a supreme court justice, right? I’m kinda surprised he didn’t just lynch a few brown and/or gay people in his front yard because doing so would have equal consequence - none.
Show threadgivesomefucksMay 18, 2024

Oh ,don’t worry.

We asked them if they need oversight. And every single SC judge said there’s no reason any of them need oversight.

Which is apparently enough to convince moderates Dems that we don’t need to do anything

Show threadLifeInMultipleChoiceMay 18, 2024
Wouldn’t that have to be an act of Congress, which is not controlled by the “moderates Dems”
Show threadgivesomefucksMay 18, 2024

You think “making SC justices accountable” wouldn’t get more Dems elected?

FDR was progressive enough and voters knew he was trying to help, that people got him that kind of supermajority.

Granted, the “moderate” Dems still stopped him from passing universal healthcare 80 years ago, but at that point voters would have eventually replaced them.

Instead the “moderates” took power and convinced voters trying is pointless, and now they pretend to be surprised when turnout is bad.

That’s kind of the whole rub with “moderate” Dems. They have to walk a right rope where just enough people are politically engaged to beat Republicans, but not so many that theres no excuse for not doing shit.

It’s like when that NBA guy was betting for his team to win, but not beat the spread. So he’d make “mistakes” in the game and fake injuries.

You lose more when you’re not trying to win by as much as you can. But if you get more money (campaign donations from billionaires and corporations) it’s what you care more about than if the team gets a W.

Show threadLifeInMultipleChoiceMay 18, 2024

“You think “making SC justices accountable” wouldn’t get more Dems elected?”

Not sure where you got that from? I was just saying the Dems don’t control the house, and the house would have to make those accountability guidelines.

Show threadgivesomefucksMay 18, 2024

Is Dem leadership out there on the bully pulpit talking about how many more seats we need and where we should focus?

No?

They’re not? They just stopped talking about?

Like, this shit is literally what party leaders are supposed to be doing, instead Hakeem Jefferies are Chuck Schumer are running around talking about how funding Israel’s genocide is so important and painting peaceful protesters as the real villains. As is Biden.

The president and Dem leaders in the Senate and House don’t represent the priorities of their voters.

Show threadRanvierMay 18, 2024

The bill went along party lines out of committee, 11 Democrats in favor 10 Republicans against.

reuters.com/…/senate-panel-set-vote-us-supreme-co…

Dead due on arrival though, due to unanimous republican opposition in both the senate and house (controlled by Republicans). Even if you wanted to argue for Democrats overturning the filibuster or something, it still wouldn’t solve the issue of the house. Anyways the point is, republicans are far more of a problem for judicial reform than your “moderate dems.”

Democrats urge US Supreme Court ethics reform as panel set to vote

Democrats on Thursday sought to make the case for <a href="/world/us/us-senate-democrats-pursue-supreme-court-ethics-legislation-2023-07-19/">legislation</a> to mandate a binding ethics code for the U.S. Supreme Court after revelations that some conservative justices failed to disclose luxury trips and real estate transactions, with a Senate panel set to vote on the measure.

Reuters
Show threadEmpricornMay 18, 2024
Shh. You’re running their bOtH SiDeS narrative with inconvenient facts!
Show threadNougatMay 18, 2024
Oh this guy again. Yeah, it’s all the Democrats’ fault. Every time, for everything.
Show threadLifeInMultipleChoiceMay 18, 2024
While I get what you mean, they aren’t immune to prosecution for acts outside of their role. He would hopefully still get arrested and charged for lynching people. (Hopefully)
Show threadGot_BentMay 18, 2024
Tried, convicted, appealed all the way up to his own court, conviction overturned.
Show threadLifeInMultipleChoiceMay 18, 2024
I mean, his fellow judges might be corrupt enough to do so, but he couldn’t sit on the judging panel for that.
Show threadMumboJumboMay 18, 2024
Could he not? I’m genuinely interested, because I was under the impression that there wasn’t anything that could force the justices to recuse themselves.