The investigative report released by the Supreme Court on Thursday stated that 126 formal interviews were conducted of 97 employees in order to determine who was responsible for leaking Samuel Alito’s draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade. But at the end of the internal investigation, the court stated that it had failed to find the leaker.
The report notes that every one of the court personnel interviewed who had or may have had access to the draft opinion—including temporary law clerks and permanent employees—were required to sign a sworn statement that they were not the source of the leak. But the report did not say whether the nine Justices themselves or their spouses had been interviewed, including Alito and Clarence and Ginni Thomas.
That omission is the focus of many who doubt the court’s findings. This led Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley to release a separate statement on Friday. “I spoke with each of the Justices, several on multiple occasions,” she wrote, adding, “I followed up on all credible leads, none of which implicated the Justices or their spouses.” As a result, she decided it was not necessary to ask the justices to sign sworn affidavits as the others did. Not exactly a confidence booster.
Last May, Chief Justice John Roberts called the leak, published by Politico, “absolutely appalling.” In September, he complained about the court’s critics, saying that “simply because people disagree with an opinion is not a basis for questioning the legitimacy of the court.” Never mind that at least three recently installed members of the court—Justices Barrett, Kavanaugh and Gorsuch—lied about their acceptance of precedents like Roe v. Wade in their quest to gain lifetime appointments.
In fact, trust in the Supreme Court is at a record low, with the latest Gallup poll in late September finding that only 47 percent of Americans have "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of trust in the judicial branch. This is a 20 percentage-point-drop from two years ago—and it precedes the newly released results of the court’s leak investigation.
What about you? Do you trust the Supreme Court? Or has the combination of its rightward march, recent decisions and defensive posture shifted your thinking about its legitimacy? As always, I look forward to reading your thoughts and the opportunity for this community to learn from each other. Please do be respectful.
No, I do not trust the Supreme Court. The actions of Mitch McConnell during both Obama’s and Trump’s presidencies destroyed any prior belief that the court was an independent body. It has been bought and installed by the far right Federalist Society and is actively working to take our country back 250 years. It is a disgrace.
Agree. The Court has become an extension of the Republican party. The Court’s slide into activism is alarming. I fear for women’s rights and LGBTQ, We have what I believe is one unqualified justice, one accused of sexual misconduct, and one with a political activist spouse. Not to mention a blatant disregard for settled law. Several candidates gave a nod to settled law prior to upending same. Too much power with zero accountability. IMHO
I haven't trusted SCOTUS since Trump was allowed to appoint three - three! - incompetent Republican hacks in order to legislate from the bench. All three lied under oath in Congress to secure their appointments, and all three should be removed from the bench, either via disbarment, impeachment, whatever it takes.
I agree with Charlotte. It seemed pretty obvious in the moment that these Trump appointed justices were being deceitful in their responses on Roe vs. Wade... and they've done nothing but undermine the integrity of the court ever since.
I'm also finding myself disgusted with the bold faced way Alito and Thomas think the rules don't apply to them and it's now fine to take cases willy nilly from plaintiffs that don't even have proper standing as long as they forward the religious right agenda on the court. It's shameful.
The process and the letter of the law are being put under the bus, quite intentionally it seems.
The only question I have now really is... are these justices just blindly forging ahead and disregarding legal process and all precedent as it suits them simply because they are in a position now to do so and intend to bend the country to a minority's will as far as they can?
AND/OR... is part of this cynical abuse of power intentionally meant to undermine our public trust and respect for the court. Such that people will just start rejecting their decisions en mass and disregarding them and openly defying the law in protest... perhaps creating a convenient "January 6th" equivalent on the left? ("Oh look! Now NO ONE believes in any of our government institutions, guess we need Martial Law.")
It won't matter that one movement was borne out of lies and manipulation of the public for one man's personal gain, and that the other will be a perhaps necessary revolution to defend our constitutional rights against a heinous abuse of power and bastardization of the court system to essentially legislate without being elected or accountable to the public in a meaningful way.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. However, I’m more discouraged than ever because there is really nothing that can be done with the country so divided and incompetent people being elected not only to SCOTUS but Congress as well. “Someone” is voting for these individuals even though when asked, most people say “not I”!
I was enthralled by the Supreme Court during a field trip to DC with my eighth grade civics teacher and our class.  Enthralled no more. Several supreme court justices outright lied about Roe. How can anyone trust them?
I’m an attorney and I have been grieved by the mushy reasoning of decisions like Citizens United and the flimsy ‘originalist’ philosophy that has infiltrated our legal system. Since the blatant abuse by McConnell’s of SCOTUS appointments, I am sadly, skeptical of SCOTUS and feel that expansion, plus term limits are needed to cleanse the toxins.
If our Founders were textual/originalists we’d no doubt have some Iron Age influenced constitution to mandate slavery, white male suffrage, polygamy perhaps, no 13 States, with a federal church too.
Bush v. Gore did it in. It's only got worse since. I don't believe that line about interviewing the judges. She made that up once she realized no one was buying her bs.
Abolish the Electoral College; State sponsored election reform with compulsory paper backup voting where States’ popular vote totals are verified and totaled by US National Archivist. See my comment for ‘Buttigieg Solution’ of SCOTUS.
Sadly, I no longer have much respect for the Supreme Court. It is unconscionable that Ginni Thomas can support far-right attempts to destroy our democracy, without consequences to her or her husband.
They are and largely have been partisan appointments. Most judicial appointments are. This was somewhat disguised,but with the McConnell derailment of Obama’s appointment of Garland, that charade, and the role of the Federalist Society in managing GOP strategy, was exposed for what it is.
Abolish the Electoral College; State sponsored election reform with compulsory paper backup voting where States’ popular vote totals are verified and totaled by US National Archivist. See my comment for ‘Buttigieg Solution’ of SCOTUS.
SCOTUS has lost my trust, not just because it seems ideology rather than law-driven, but because it has broken with long established practice and taken cases that have not been reviewed by lower courts and/or where the plaintiff has no legitimate standing, specifically so that they can make what amount to advisory rulings. Add to that the obvious corruption of Justice Thomas's relationship with the January 6 insurrection and it is not surprising that so many of us doubt the legitimacy of the court.
Donald Trump did tremendous damage to this country, but nothing worse than his appointments to the SC, which we will live with for a generation.
No, not since Kavanaugh, not now and not ever. They are what Amy CB said they were not: partisan hacks. With the exception of the three women on the court.
There are now 4 women on the court -- Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Ellen meant the latter 3 (Barrett is of course a partisan hack).
How can you trust the Supreme Court to do the right thing when 4 of them lied during their confirmation hearings? And one of them sexually harassed a woman who was brave enough to come forward during his confirmation hearings but was not believed? And one of them was accused of sexual battery during his younger years and one of his victims testified during his hearings and has had to go into hiding afterwards? And they swear they are upstanding Christians? The wife of one of the sexual harasser paid for buses for the January 6th insurrection and sent texts urging 45 to fight the outcome of the election 2 months after it was settled. How can you trust these justices?????
I don't trust the court. I think it has become politicized beyond anything acceptable. The appointment of Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett were all underhanded, in my opinion. We should have two more justices appointed bt a Democratic president. I see the court as dismantling laws that are still necessary, and not following stare decis in others. I would be in favor of a law that clarified "good behavior" as retiring at 70 or 72 years of age. For that matter, I would like to see legislation that sets a similar retirement age for members of Congress and the president.
Used to. Steven, you are exactly dead on. As soon as I heard outcome, Cover-up was first thought. Need new Court Marshall: that she did NOT require justices/wives to sign is abominable. Leak came from someone &, in my opinion, we now know from where if not specific person. John Roberts must act as Chief J & get court in order.
Yeah, I trust them to do exactly what they were put there to do: the conservatives from the Heritage Foundation are there to eliminate the rights of the American people. The court needs to be expanded to dilute their influence, which was derived underhandedly.
It was the team of Clarence and Ginni Thomas. See my Newsletter of July, 2022 updated in January, 2023 at: haroldrberk.substack.com
I applied Sherlock Holmes analysis and came to an inescapable conclusion. I sent my Newsletter in July to the Chief Justice, and he probably agrees, but he misguidedly thinks that he can bury it with a baloney investigation. which everyone sees through. The Chief is very wrong, on this and much more.
Most who have reviewed my analysis think it is on point and probably correct.
Note there are se several potential crimes involved in taking Government property and distributing it to those without authority. The FBI should have investigated, and Biden should be told to have them do so. Meanwhile Merrick Garland appears still to be asleep at the wheel. Ah, Justice!!
Is there anybody who thinks is was NOT one of the Thomases, or both? Interesting the justices weren’t required to sign an oath. That tells me the Chief Justice knew there were liars.
There is no law, only power. Honesty is clearly not highly valued by justices who lied in their hearings about their beliefs and intentions. That the justices and their spouses were not subjected to the same investigative rigor as their staff is all the proof we need that there're two standards of justice in the USA today. Extremists have taken the legal wheel of the ship of state and are steering us directly toward rocky reefs.
not for one second do I trust them and IMO we wouldn't have to look very hard to find that some of them are totally compromised. They serve themselves now, see themselves as above the law they are there to protect. So no I don't trust them with the exception of three of the women, the fourth woman is so deep in her religion she should never have been put on the court in the first place along with Thomas and Kavanaugh
SCOTUS needs an obsolescence upgrade; Constitutional Amendment.
Pete Buttigieg (genius) suggested a 15-seat/15-year term limited Court with 5-Justices acting as a ‘check’ against Senate-political process malfeasance.
Initially, I suppose, the 9 would ‘draw straws’ dictating their annual-consecutive retirements. The additional 6 would serve the attritional 10-15-year terms.
No longer would chance death or arbitrary retirement vex our SCOTUS; every POTUS picks a new Jurist annually, by June 14?
Those 5 include The Chief and must be Senate approved superlatively. The remaining 10 to approve by simple majority.
IF EVER a candidate like Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, or Barrett were approved The 5 could reject their appointment.
Personally, I’d prefer even MORE justices (19 ? - 31 ?) chosen by ANNUAL LOTERY each July, serving Sept. to June. Personality becomes lost via time and larger numbers. Politics is better damned.
The Supreme Court is not high on my list of trustworthy institutions. Sure, there are reasonable individuals, but the court as a whole has been distressing. Their closing of the 50 year window of personal autonomy for women was devastating. Looking to the future, I fear their tight fisted control on people’s freedoms. Court expansion might be the way to go for our future.
When will our elected leaders get the backbone to examine more closely whether or not Justice Thomas should have recused himself when the court head cases involving the Jan 6 insurrection? Another great article to read on this subject was written last March in Politico by Kimberly Whele.
I have less trust in the Supreme Court since as mentioned, 3 justices lied to get appointed. I also don’t trust Ginni Thomas and feel that Clarence is questionable as well.
I trust 3 of the women on the Court. Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and that Amy chick lied in their confirmation hearings. Alito is a right wing religious conservative who lets his religious beliefs interfere with his rulings and Thomas. What can you say about a sexual assaulter whose wife is heavily involved in the coup attempt and he refuses to recuse himself from rulings involving the attempt.
I trusted the January 6 Committee entirely. I have no trust in the Supreme Court due to the 6 theocratic SupremeCourt Justices. I have less faith in the Senate also. Are they going to be able to take over the investigations that are no longer possible in the House, such as Secret Service failings in the lead-up to January 6? Also: taking a careful look at the NARA processes as they relate to the 2 document investigations (Mar a Lago and Biden), strengthening the FAA, FEC and the SEC, other weaknesses in our regulatory agencies. And then there’s the DOJ - It’s been 745 days since January 6. The evidence is out there. Why the delay?
Not anymore. Not for a while. They obviously lied. They obviously are not legit since they were put in by a president who was not legit. I am horrified by this court.
If I were an employee of the SC, I would be insulted that I was required to be interviewed in detail and made t0 sign a document affirming the truthful nature of my statements. Where the Justices were not. This SCREAMS of the injustice of our Justice system. Where there are levels of " equal justice " depending on your status, race, wealth, political position and entitlement.
Without evidence, Roberts stated the release of the Draft was more than a "misguided protest." It wasn't a protest at all. It was a tactic designed to solidify the radical and Neanderthal opinion within. It was a tactic designed to prohibit any effort at reasonable compromise within the SCOTUS. Scalia and/or his allies had the motive and the means. There is no way Roberts or his colleagues to his right were ever going to allow for a determination. The investigation was just
theater, not up to the grandiose claims of a breach of trust and Scalia's absurdist claims of threat of assassination.
How can anyone trust what the Supreme Court will do based on the fact that three of the Justices have openly lied to the Senate when asked if they would recognize court precedent and not try to overthrow Roe v. Wade or any of the other basic decisions relating to voting rights, gay marriage, rights of the LBGTQ community? They have shown the arrogance and unresponsiveness to the fact that they are denying basic rights to women who make up over half of the nation's population, and has become more totally political than before the Civil War. I am afraid the Trump legacy will take decades to correct, if then. When cases are no longer decided based upon the basic rights of the people but solely on a slim majority of proponents are what leads to revolution. This shouldn't be a surprise because this is what the current MAGA shit storm in Congress wants to happen. Nothing less than the overthrow of our democracy, and for what? Most still cannot discern a reason except to control everything, including our freedoms.
Sure, I trust the Supreme Court! I trust the so-called conservative super-majority to ignore settled law, to render decisions on the basis of their right-wing ideology, to refuse the ethical oversight anyone but themselves and to dismiss the real world consequences of their decisions in the lives of most Americans.
It's a shame that the brilliant Ktanji Brown Jackson was elevated to her seat at this time, when the Extreme Court is polluted by right-wing Injustices, who are in the majority after three of them (Barrett, Kavanaugh and Gorsuch) lied to get their lifetime appointments.
Sadly, Steven, I do not trust our Supreme Court. I don't think some of the justices are being honest and non-paritsan. Their dishonesty and lack of integrity will hurt all of America.
No, I do not trust the majority who have no code of ethics and act like it. Nor do I trust their decision reasoning where it appears that they are shoehorning an opinion just so it fits the conclusion they already have. That might work in some settings but the Supreme Court should always use solid objective reasoning where conclusions are based on facts and premises, not visa versa. And that’s not even mentioning the shadow docket abuse where they are shirking their duty. Shame on Justice Roberts who allows this in his court and the participating majority who does this.
In the past there was an aura about SCOTUS- that they were somehow elevated above the flawed humanity that we all are. These exposures reveal that they are human just like the rest of us- filled with doubt, insecurity, bias and personal agendas.
As Senator Whitehouse has said, this is the “Court that Dark Money Built”. It’s not so much as a court as an unelected legislature which exists to serve the interests of the wealthy and the large corporations that bankrolled the effort to put the 6 Republicans on there in the first place. It’s pretty simple: their job is to protect the wealthy and well-connected and maintain their power from any encroachment by the representatives of the vast, vast majority of Americans. The corruption is breathtaking.
How could anyone trust this Supreme Court? This Court is now populated with a majority who are determined to overturn the major civil rights and personal rights gains of the 1960’s and 1970’s. They are not justices, but right wing ideologues with a Christo-Fascist bent.
They are no longer worthy of trust. I think the Roberts Court will be remembered in history as no better than the Taney Court. A terrible mistake that it will take many years to rectify.
The current court represents the height of corruption and cynical congressional manipulation in moves that can only be described as tyranny of the minority. We can'r forget how Mitch McConnell stole Obama's rightful pick, Merrick Garland, who never even was allowed meetings the vetting process. It was a cold hearted, bad faith move by McConnell to deny Obama's selection. in addition the separation of church and state has been flaunted by religious zealots. And unlimited, secret campaign contributions were ruled to be free speech.
These corrupt justices, including the despicable Bret Kavanaugh were all put on the court by million dollar campaigns of more mysterious. They equated money to "free" speech, money from an outside ultra conservative group, The federalist Society.
If we don't find a way to change the makeup of the court will continue to rule in favor of the super rich, who put them on the court.
In my humble "guy at the end of the bar" opinion we need to impeach the three justices who fraudulently lied to congress about their commitment to upholding previous rulings of established law. (Voting rights and abortion).
Next, we need to secure the majority so we can expand the court to 11, 13, 17 justices.
This court's rulings has put us on the slippery slope to less representation, and the continuing erosion of our freedom and democracy.
We are smack dab in a Code Red climate emergency, which they ruled that congress could not pass laws to regulate pollution. As we approach ever more threatening consequences of global warming they are thumbing their noses at existential reality. Ensuring that we lose democracy first and then we lose civilization. All to keep the rich in total control of the government that is supposedly for the people.
I was a patriotic kid from a family where everyone served, including my Father in WW2 and my Grandfather in WW1. I served in the US Navy sub service in the 70’s. I was brought up to revere our government and the men and women who served, and that included politicians of both parties. I cried every time I heard the Star Spangled Banner, and never missed a State of the Union or an inauguration. I died a little inside when Kennedy was assassinated. But now? How about this: McCarthy, Santos, Boebert, Palin, Gates, Cruz, deSantis, Greene, Haley, Thomas, Gorsuch, Starr, McConnell, Thune, Roberts, Alito, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett. Do I revere them? No. I can barely stomach them. When McConnell held Garland’s nomination for months, I lost all respect for the Senate. When McConnell assisted Trump to make THREE appointments to the Court, I knew all was lost. Now, with Alito’s opinion In Roe, in which he mentioned going after my Marriage, that was the last straw. I’m out. Over. Finished. I will never trust this Court again.
No, I do not trust the Supreme Court. The actions of Mitch McConnell during both Obama’s and Trump’s presidencies destroyed any prior belief that the court was an independent body. It has been bought and installed by the far right Federalist Society and is actively working to take our country back 250 years. It is a disgrace.
Agree. The Court has become an extension of the Republican party. The Court’s slide into activism is alarming. I fear for women’s rights and LGBTQ, We have what I believe is one unqualified justice, one accused of sexual misconduct, and one with a political activist spouse. Not to mention a blatant disregard for settled law. Several candidates gave a nod to settled law prior to upending same. Too much power with zero accountability. IMHO
I have met and spoken with the person with the activist spouse. They said that they dragged the activist spouse to the right. Oh, REALLY.
Agreed.
AGREE
Exactly! I could not have said it better.
Thank you for your kind words. And thank you for being in this group.
Absolutely agree. Concise and true synopsis. It is a disgrace, indeed.
I haven't trusted SCOTUS since Trump was allowed to appoint three - three! - incompetent Republican hacks in order to legislate from the bench. All three lied under oath in Congress to secure their appointments, and all three should be removed from the bench, either via disbarment, impeachment, whatever it takes.
I agree with Charlotte. It seemed pretty obvious in the moment that these Trump appointed justices were being deceitful in their responses on Roe vs. Wade... and they've done nothing but undermine the integrity of the court ever since.
I'm also finding myself disgusted with the bold faced way Alito and Thomas think the rules don't apply to them and it's now fine to take cases willy nilly from plaintiffs that don't even have proper standing as long as they forward the religious right agenda on the court. It's shameful.
The process and the letter of the law are being put under the bus, quite intentionally it seems.
The only question I have now really is... are these justices just blindly forging ahead and disregarding legal process and all precedent as it suits them simply because they are in a position now to do so and intend to bend the country to a minority's will as far as they can?
AND/OR... is part of this cynical abuse of power intentionally meant to undermine our public trust and respect for the court. Such that people will just start rejecting their decisions en mass and disregarding them and openly defying the law in protest... perhaps creating a convenient "January 6th" equivalent on the left? ("Oh look! Now NO ONE believes in any of our government institutions, guess we need Martial Law.")
It won't matter that one movement was borne out of lies and manipulation of the public for one man's personal gain, and that the other will be a perhaps necessary revolution to defend our constitutional rights against a heinous abuse of power and bastardization of the court system to essentially legislate without being elected or accountable to the public in a meaningful way.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. However, I’m more discouraged than ever because there is really nothing that can be done with the country so divided and incompetent people being elected not only to SCOTUS but Congress as well. “Someone” is voting for these individuals even though when asked, most people say “not I”!
It is beyond frustrating that no one seems to have the power to correct any of this.
Frightening thoughts, indeed.
I agree!
I think the acronym should be SCROTUS, personally.
I was enthralled by the Supreme Court during a field trip to DC with my eighth grade civics teacher and our class.  Enthralled no more. Several supreme court justices outright lied about Roe. How can anyone trust them?
I’m an attorney and I have been grieved by the mushy reasoning of decisions like Citizens United and the flimsy ‘originalist’ philosophy that has infiltrated our legal system. Since the blatant abuse by McConnell’s of SCOTUS appointments, I am sadly, skeptical of SCOTUS and feel that expansion, plus term limits are needed to cleanse the toxins.
If our Founders were textual/originalists we’d no doubt have some Iron Age influenced constitution to mandate slavery, white male suffrage, polygamy perhaps, no 13 States, with a federal church too.
Bush v. Gore did it in. It's only got worse since. I don't believe that line about interviewing the judges. She made that up once she realized no one was buying her bs.
Abolish the Electoral College; State sponsored election reform with compulsory paper backup voting where States’ popular vote totals are verified and totaled by US National Archivist. See my comment for ‘Buttigieg Solution’ of SCOTUS.
Totally agree. Robert Hubbell’s substack explains the evasiveness of her wording
Sadly, I no longer have much respect for the Supreme Court. It is unconscionable that Ginni Thomas can support far-right attempts to destroy our democracy, without consequences to her or her husband.
They are and largely have been partisan appointments. Most judicial appointments are. This was somewhat disguised,but with the McConnell derailment of Obama’s appointment of Garland, that charade, and the role of the Federalist Society in managing GOP strategy, was exposed for what it is.
The Supreme Court needs a complete makeover. Add three more justices and set 10 year term limits. And have an oversight board.
👍🏼 yep!
Abolish the Electoral College; State sponsored election reform with compulsory paper backup voting where States’ popular vote totals are verified and totaled by US National Archivist. See my comment for ‘Buttigieg Solution’ of SCOTUS.
SCOTUS has lost my trust, not just because it seems ideology rather than law-driven, but because it has broken with long established practice and taken cases that have not been reviewed by lower courts and/or where the plaintiff has no legitimate standing, specifically so that they can make what amount to advisory rulings. Add to that the obvious corruption of Justice Thomas's relationship with the January 6 insurrection and it is not surprising that so many of us doubt the legitimacy of the court.
Donald Trump did tremendous damage to this country, but nothing worse than his appointments to the SC, which we will live with for a generation.
Yes, their use of the shadow docket is alarming.
No, not since Kavanaugh, not now and not ever. They are what Amy CB said they were not: partisan hacks. With the exception of the three women on the court.
2 of the 3. The most recent IS CLEARLY a partisan hack.
There are now 4 women on the court -- Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Ellen meant the latter 3 (Barrett is of course a partisan hack).
How can you trust the Supreme Court to do the right thing when 4 of them lied during their confirmation hearings? And one of them sexually harassed a woman who was brave enough to come forward during his confirmation hearings but was not believed? And one of them was accused of sexual battery during his younger years and one of his victims testified during his hearings and has had to go into hiding afterwards? And they swear they are upstanding Christians? The wife of one of the sexual harasser paid for buses for the January 6th insurrection and sent texts urging 45 to fight the outcome of the election 2 months after it was settled. How can you trust these justices?????
History will not be kind to Roberts or this Supreme Court.
History is written by the victors…and the MAGOTS are hard at work…
that's assuming we will even HAVE any real history of Roberts and his court
very simply, no, I do not trust SCOTUS. It's actually scary.
I trust 30%...you can probably guess which 30%.
I don't trust the court. I think it has become politicized beyond anything acceptable. The appointment of Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett were all underhanded, in my opinion. We should have two more justices appointed bt a Democratic president. I see the court as dismantling laws that are still necessary, and not following stare decis in others. I would be in favor of a law that clarified "good behavior" as retiring at 70 or 72 years of age. For that matter, I would like to see legislation that sets a similar retirement age for members of Congress and the president.
Used to. Steven, you are exactly dead on. As soon as I heard outcome, Cover-up was first thought. Need new Court Marshall: that she did NOT require justices/wives to sign is abominable. Leak came from someone &, in my opinion, we now know from where if not specific person. John Roberts must act as Chief J & get court in order.
More and more I suspect it was Ginni Thomas
. . . and/or she with Alito’s supreme ante-ecumenical Catholic opinionated fuckery?
She’s sick & evil
And, apparently, unstoppable.
Yeah, I trust them to do exactly what they were put there to do: the conservatives from the Heritage Foundation are there to eliminate the rights of the American people. The court needs to be expanded to dilute their influence, which was derived underhandedly.
It was the team of Clarence and Ginni Thomas. See my Newsletter of July, 2022 updated in January, 2023 at: haroldrberk.substack.com
I applied Sherlock Holmes analysis and came to an inescapable conclusion. I sent my Newsletter in July to the Chief Justice, and he probably agrees, but he misguidedly thinks that he can bury it with a baloney investigation. which everyone sees through. The Chief is very wrong, on this and much more.
Most who have reviewed my analysis think it is on point and probably correct.
Note there are se several potential crimes involved in taking Government property and distributing it to those without authority. The FBI should have investigated, and Biden should be told to have them do so. Meanwhile Merrick Garland appears still to be asleep at the wheel. Ah, Justice!!
Is there anybody who thinks is was NOT one of the Thomases, or both? Interesting the justices weren’t required to sign an oath. That tells me the Chief Justice knew there were liars.
There is no law, only power. Honesty is clearly not highly valued by justices who lied in their hearings about their beliefs and intentions. That the justices and their spouses were not subjected to the same investigative rigor as their staff is all the proof we need that there're two standards of justice in the USA today. Extremists have taken the legal wheel of the ship of state and are steering us directly toward rocky reefs.
not for one second do I trust them and IMO we wouldn't have to look very hard to find that some of them are totally compromised. They serve themselves now, see themselves as above the law they are there to protect. So no I don't trust them with the exception of three of the women, the fourth woman is so deep in her religion she should never have been put on the court in the first place along with Thomas and Kavanaugh
SCOTUS needs an obsolescence upgrade; Constitutional Amendment.
Pete Buttigieg (genius) suggested a 15-seat/15-year term limited Court with 5-Justices acting as a ‘check’ against Senate-political process malfeasance.
Initially, I suppose, the 9 would ‘draw straws’ dictating their annual-consecutive retirements. The additional 6 would serve the attritional 10-15-year terms.
No longer would chance death or arbitrary retirement vex our SCOTUS; every POTUS picks a new Jurist annually, by June 14?
Those 5 include The Chief and must be Senate approved superlatively. The remaining 10 to approve by simple majority.
IF EVER a candidate like Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, or Barrett were approved The 5 could reject their appointment.
Personally, I’d prefer even MORE justices (19 ? - 31 ?) chosen by ANNUAL LOTERY each July, serving Sept. to June. Personality becomes lost via time and larger numbers. Politics is better damned.
Absolutely not!
Count me among those who have lost faith in SCOTUS. Very sad.
The Supreme Court is not high on my list of trustworthy institutions. Sure, there are reasonable individuals, but the court as a whole has been distressing. Their closing of the 50 year window of personal autonomy for women was devastating. Looking to the future, I fear their tight fisted control on people’s freedoms. Court expansion might be the way to go for our future.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the rights of 51% of the population that in and of itself is an impeachable offense
When will our elected leaders get the backbone to examine more closely whether or not Justice Thomas should have recused himself when the court head cases involving the Jan 6 insurrection? Another great article to read on this subject was written last March in Politico by Kimberly Whele.
I have less trust in the Supreme Court since as mentioned, 3 justices lied to get appointed. I also don’t trust Ginni Thomas and feel that Clarence is questionable as well.
I trust 3 of the women on the Court. Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and that Amy chick lied in their confirmation hearings. Alito is a right wing religious conservative who lets his religious beliefs interfere with his rulings and Thomas. What can you say about a sexual assaulter whose wife is heavily involved in the coup attempt and he refuses to recuse himself from rulings involving the attempt.
I trusted the January 6 Committee entirely. I have no trust in the Supreme Court due to the 6 theocratic SupremeCourt Justices. I have less faith in the Senate also. Are they going to be able to take over the investigations that are no longer possible in the House, such as Secret Service failings in the lead-up to January 6? Also: taking a careful look at the NARA processes as they relate to the 2 document investigations (Mar a Lago and Biden), strengthening the FAA, FEC and the SEC, other weaknesses in our regulatory agencies. And then there’s the DOJ - It’s been 745 days since January 6. The evidence is out there. Why the delay?
I forgot to mention: There should be an investigation of the IRS under the former Director who tried to cover up trump’s tax returns.
Not anymore. Not for a while. They obviously lied. They obviously are not legit since they were put in by a president who was not legit. I am horrified by this court.
If I were an employee of the SC, I would be insulted that I was required to be interviewed in detail and made t0 sign a document affirming the truthful nature of my statements. Where the Justices were not. This SCREAMS of the injustice of our Justice system. Where there are levels of " equal justice " depending on your status, race, wealth, political position and entitlement.
Without evidence, Roberts stated the release of the Draft was more than a "misguided protest." It wasn't a protest at all. It was a tactic designed to solidify the radical and Neanderthal opinion within. It was a tactic designed to prohibit any effort at reasonable compromise within the SCOTUS. Scalia and/or his allies had the motive and the means. There is no way Roberts or his colleagues to his right were ever going to allow for a determination. The investigation was just
theater, not up to the grandiose claims of a breach of trust and Scalia's absurdist claims of threat of assassination.
***Alito"s absurdist claims..., not Scalia.
I haven’t trusted the court since Robert Bork’s nomination and Clarence Thomas’s confirmation.
How can anyone trust what the Supreme Court will do based on the fact that three of the Justices have openly lied to the Senate when asked if they would recognize court precedent and not try to overthrow Roe v. Wade or any of the other basic decisions relating to voting rights, gay marriage, rights of the LBGTQ community? They have shown the arrogance and unresponsiveness to the fact that they are denying basic rights to women who make up over half of the nation's population, and has become more totally political than before the Civil War. I am afraid the Trump legacy will take decades to correct, if then. When cases are no longer decided based upon the basic rights of the people but solely on a slim majority of proponents are what leads to revolution. This shouldn't be a surprise because this is what the current MAGA shit storm in Congress wants to happen. Nothing less than the overthrow of our democracy, and for what? Most still cannot discern a reason except to control everything, including our freedoms.
I wonder what else the trump appointed judges have lied about. I don't trust any of the "conservative" members of the court.
Sure, I trust the Supreme Court! I trust the so-called conservative super-majority to ignore settled law, to render decisions on the basis of their right-wing ideology, to refuse the ethical oversight anyone but themselves and to dismiss the real world consequences of their decisions in the lives of most Americans.
There is nothing more to be said than “Clarence and Ginni Thomas” to explain why the court has lost it’s claim to legitimacy
It's a shame that the brilliant Ktanji Brown Jackson was elevated to her seat at this time, when the Extreme Court is polluted by right-wing Injustices, who are in the majority after three of them (Barrett, Kavanaugh and Gorsuch) lied to get their lifetime appointments.
Sadly, Steven, I do not trust our Supreme Court. I don't think some of the justices are being honest and non-paritsan. Their dishonesty and lack of integrity will hurt all of America.
No, I do not trust the majority who have no code of ethics and act like it. Nor do I trust their decision reasoning where it appears that they are shoehorning an opinion just so it fits the conclusion they already have. That might work in some settings but the Supreme Court should always use solid objective reasoning where conclusions are based on facts and premises, not visa versa. And that’s not even mentioning the shadow docket abuse where they are shirking their duty. Shame on Justice Roberts who allows this in his court and the participating majority who does this.
I absolutely do not trust the Court. We shall see how much lower they go. Historic rock bottom is within reach.
In the past there was an aura about SCOTUS- that they were somehow elevated above the flawed humanity that we all are. These exposures reveal that they are human just like the rest of us- filled with doubt, insecurity, bias and personal agendas.
I don't trust the Roberts Court. Like the House and Senate GOP It is an appendage of the reactionary oligarchs who advanced the judges' careers.
I don't trust the Roberts Court. Like the House and Senate GOP It is an appendage of the reactionary oligarchs who advanced their careers.
As Senator Whitehouse has said, this is the “Court that Dark Money Built”. It’s not so much as a court as an unelected legislature which exists to serve the interests of the wealthy and the large corporations that bankrolled the effort to put the 6 Republicans on there in the first place. It’s pretty simple: their job is to protect the wealthy and well-connected and maintain their power from any encroachment by the representatives of the vast, vast majority of Americans. The corruption is breathtaking.
How could anyone trust this Supreme Court? This Court is now populated with a majority who are determined to overturn the major civil rights and personal rights gains of the 1960’s and 1970’s. They are not justices, but right wing ideologues with a Christo-Fascist bent.
They are no longer worthy of trust. I think the Roberts Court will be remembered in history as no better than the Taney Court. A terrible mistake that it will take many years to rectify.
Sgt Schultz filed his report: He saw nothing, heard nothing, found nothing.
I don't know how this gang of mostly political hacks gets more than 3% support, let alone 20+%
The current court represents the height of corruption and cynical congressional manipulation in moves that can only be described as tyranny of the minority. We can'r forget how Mitch McConnell stole Obama's rightful pick, Merrick Garland, who never even was allowed meetings the vetting process. It was a cold hearted, bad faith move by McConnell to deny Obama's selection. in addition the separation of church and state has been flaunted by religious zealots. And unlimited, secret campaign contributions were ruled to be free speech.
These corrupt justices, including the despicable Bret Kavanaugh were all put on the court by million dollar campaigns of more mysterious. They equated money to "free" speech, money from an outside ultra conservative group, The federalist Society.
If we don't find a way to change the makeup of the court will continue to rule in favor of the super rich, who put them on the court.
In my humble "guy at the end of the bar" opinion we need to impeach the three justices who fraudulently lied to congress about their commitment to upholding previous rulings of established law. (Voting rights and abortion).
Next, we need to secure the majority so we can expand the court to 11, 13, 17 justices.
This court's rulings has put us on the slippery slope to less representation, and the continuing erosion of our freedom and democracy.
We are smack dab in a Code Red climate emergency, which they ruled that congress could not pass laws to regulate pollution. As we approach ever more threatening consequences of global warming they are thumbing their noses at existential reality. Ensuring that we lose democracy first and then we lose civilization. All to keep the rich in total control of the government that is supposedly for the people.
I was a patriotic kid from a family where everyone served, including my Father in WW2 and my Grandfather in WW1. I served in the US Navy sub service in the 70’s. I was brought up to revere our government and the men and women who served, and that included politicians of both parties. I cried every time I heard the Star Spangled Banner, and never missed a State of the Union or an inauguration. I died a little inside when Kennedy was assassinated. But now? How about this: McCarthy, Santos, Boebert, Palin, Gates, Cruz, deSantis, Greene, Haley, Thomas, Gorsuch, Starr, McConnell, Thune, Roberts, Alito, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett. Do I revere them? No. I can barely stomach them. When McConnell held Garland’s nomination for months, I lost all respect for the Senate. When McConnell assisted Trump to make THREE appointments to the Court, I knew all was lost. Now, with Alito’s opinion In Roe, in which he mentioned going after my Marriage, that was the last straw. I’m out. Over. Finished. I will never trust this Court again.
These 3 “justices” need to be impeached as each lied about Roe.
And Ginni Thomas ought to be in jail for enabling & funding the attempted coup.