Several Georgia legislators have introduced this resolution (link added): A RESOLUTION Informing Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol W. Hunstein that Georgia is a republic, not a democracy; recognizing the great differences between these two forms of government; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, on March 16, 2010, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol W. Hunstein […]
Archive | 2010
My Favorite Photo of Justice Stevens
From his 1975 confirmation hearings. He has aged well, physically and intellectually. And as an aside, why were bow ties so skinny at a time ties as a whole were so wide?
Blogging Justice Stevens
The National Law Journal has launched a new group blog — Speaking of Stevens — to discuss Justice Stevens’ legacy and the future of the Supreme Court. The wide range of contributors includes our own John Elwood. The National Journal has also re-activated its Ninth Justice nomination blog.
Lat, Thai & Volokh ABA Journal Podcast on the Coming Supreme Court Nomination
It’s available here; the participants are David Lat of Above the Law, Prof. Joseph Thai of the University of Oklahoma (a former Stevens clerk), and me.
Supreme Court Justices Who Hadn’t Been Judges
People are remarking that Solicitor General Elena Kagan, who has been much talked about as a possible Supreme Court nominee, would be the first Supreme Court Justice since Chief Justice Rehnquist to be appointed without having earlier served as a judge. But it’s worth remembering that Rehnquist himself wasn’t an outlier: Of the eight Kennedy, […]
The Timing of Justice Stevens’ Retirement
As Tuan Samahon notes, Justice Stevens has announced his retirement effective the end of the Supreme Court’s term — “effective the next day after the Court rises for the summer recess this year” — and not, as Justice O’Connor had done, effective upon the confirmation of a successor. This may not make any difference, as […]
Birth Defects as God’s Punishment for Abortion
From the Washington Post several weeks ago: “The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion who have handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the firstborn of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children,” [Virginia Del. Robert Marshall (R-Prince William)] said. “In the Old Testament, the firstborn […]
A Department That Doesn’t Look Like America
From the Magistrate’s Report and Recommendations in Tsaganea v. City Univ. of New York (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 27, 2010), adopted in relevant part by the district court a couple of weeks ago: Finally, the plaintiff relies on purported statistical evidence to support his theory that the selection process was rigged to hire a Jewish candidate. To […]
Tesla Coil Battery,
religion, relationships with the opposite sex, and more, here and at p. 31 of the linked-to item.
Justice Stevens to Retire
It’s now official that Justice John Paul Stevens will retire this summer, the AP reports.
“Exonerated” Former Death Row Inmate Reconvicted
Over at Crime and Consequences, Kent Scheidegger has a couple of interesting posts on former death row inmate Timothy Hennis. He was found guilty yesterday of premeditated murder by a military jury, even though he has long been listed on the “innocence list” maintained by the Death Penalty Information Center. Of course, it is possible […]
Jonathan Rauch on David Frum on the Conservative Movement
An excellent column. I don’t agree with David Frum on everything, but I do agree with his view of Fox News and the conservative echo chamber. Of course, I gather some of our more conservative readers will look at this differently: I trust they will express their disagreements in our comment thread in a civil […]
“Lobbyist-In-A-Box”
Do you have a lobbyist in a box? Well, let him out!
An Insufficiently Deferential D.C. Circuit?
In a column entitled “Regulatory Failure? Blame the D.C. Circuit,” Washington Post finanical writer Steven Pearlstein argues that the D.C. Circuit shares some of the blame for regulatory failures because its excessively searching review has demoralized regulators. He writes: [A]s we were reminded by a case this week involving the Federal Communications Commission, another big […]
Judicial Law Clerk Without a Law Degree
From Carl Kaysen’s New York Times obituary, published several weeks ago: Dr. Kaysen earned a master’s degree in economics at Harvard in 1947 and his doctorate there in 1954. By then he was an assistant professor at Harvard but had also served as a law clerk for Judge Charles E. Wyzanski Jr. of United States […]