#Court Reform

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Joan McCarter at Daily Kos:

The U.S. Supreme Court heard Donald Trump’s immunity claim in his federal criminal trial for trying to overturn the 2020 election Thursday, and the conservative majority is likely going to give Donald Trump what he wants: a delay of the trial until after the election. If Trump wins again, the conservatives have essentially signaled that they would be open to blanket immunity for him against any future criminal charges.   The fact that Supreme Court justices are suggesting that the president is above the law proves why the court must be reformed. Four of the justices—Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch—even went so far as to suggest that special counsel Jack Smith’s entire prosecution is unconstitutional, and they reinforced Trump’s argument that the president is immune. Kavanaugh even told Michael Dreeben, a lawyer from Smith’s office, that it’s a “serious constitutional question whether a criminal statute can apply to the president’s criminal acts.”

That would be the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card for the chief executive, rubber stamped by the highest court of the land. It’s worth remembering that Thomas refused to recuse himself from this—and most of the Trump election interference cases—despite the fact that his wife, Ginni Thomas, was deeply involved in Trump’s coup attempt. When she testified to the Jan. 6 special congressional committee, she maintained that the election was stolen.  His failure to recuse himself comes after a new ethics code has supposedly been enforced, saying that “a Justice should disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the Justice’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned, that is, where an unbiased and reasonable person who is aware of all relevant circumstances would doubt that the Justice could fairly discharge his or her duties.” So much for that suggestion from Chief Justice John Roberts. His code has no teeth, which is yet another reason why ethics reform—and indeed court reform and expansion—is essential. 

Joan McCarter writes in Daily Kos that the Trump v. United States "immunity" case is a good reason to reform and expand SCOTUS.

[brandyschillace]

Gift link to WaPo where Biden talks SCOTUS reform:

https://wapo.st/4c9ertE

[originalleftist]

If anyone wishes to contact the Biden Administration, for example to urge them to support the issue of Court Reform/term limits/expansion, here is the link to the White House Contact page:

Here is the message I submitted tonight:

[mylionheart2]

[originalleftist]

THIS is rising the occasion, and showing the leadership the times demand!

This is why we need Joe Biden, and part of why, whatever other faults he may have, he is an INFINITELY better person, and more fit to be President, than the Convicted Felon. Because Trump will never change, or listen to anyone unless they tell him what he wants to hear. But Biden can and will listen, and learn, and grow, and change, even at the age of 81. And that is a GOOD quality in a leader. It means he's someone you can work with, even if you don't always see eye to eye.

LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[exposing-yusuf-olatunji-fatai]

How Does a Judge See Fit to Remove 3 of 4 Children From a Mother To Give To a Domestic Abuser?

The post expresses deep concern about a judge's decision to award custody of three children to a father Yusuf Olatunji Fatai with a history of domestic abuse and child cruelty. The author questions how the court could disregard substantial evidence of the father's misconduct and remove the children from their mother's care, who has consistently raised them without incident. Furthermore, the text highlights perceived biases from legal representatives and a lack of substantiation for allegations against the mother, emphasizing the importance of considering the children's safety and well-being.

Ask yourself how will a Judge see fit to give 3 children, 2 girls ages 5, and 6, and one boy age 8 to a domestic abuser and one who had been charged with child cruelty in the 3rd degree and simple battery assaulting me while pregnant? How will a Judge make such an error in judgment considering the heavily weighed evidence of a regular pattern of conduct from Yusuf? How can a Judge reasonably…

[originalleftist]

Indeed.

There is no prior law or ruling that places the President above the law. None.

This isn't something that's always been wrong with America. Nor is it some dark horror from our past that we thought we'd moved past and is now returning.

This is uncharted territory. And that's terrifying.

SCOTUS is slowly but surely reshaping the presidency into the dictatorship/kleptocracy that americans have hallucinated and (frankly) manifested for YEARS. like if y'all thought the government was corrupt already, OH HONEY YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S COMING

[justinspoliticalcorner]

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. No one. But the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on July 1 to grant presidents broad immunity from prosecution for crimes they commit in office means there are virtually no limits on what a president can do. The only limits will be those that are self-imposed by the person occupying the Oval Office. [...] On top of dangerous and extreme decisions that overturn settled legal precedents — including Roe v. Wade — the court is mired in a crisis of ethics. Scandals involving several justices have caused the public to question the court’s fairness and independence, which are essential to faithfully carrying out its mission of equal justice under the law. For example, undisclosed gifts to justices from individuals with interests in cases before the court, as well as conflicts of interest connected with Jan. 6 insurrectionists, raise legitimate questions about the court’s impartiality. [...] First, I am calling for a constitutional amendment called the No One Is Above the Law Amendment. It would make clear that there is no immunity for crimes a former president committed while in office. I share our Founders’ belief that the president’s power is limited, not absolute. We are a nation of laws — not of kings or dictators. Second, we have had term limits for presidents for nearly 75 years. We should have the same for Supreme Court justices. The United States is the only major constitutional democracy that gives lifetime seats to its high court. Term limits would help ensure that the court’s membership changes with some regularity. That would make timing for court nominations more predictable and less arbitrary. It would reduce the chance that any single presidency radically alters the makeup of the court for generations to come. I support a system in which the president would appoint a justice every two years to spend 18 years in active service on the Supreme Court. Third, I’m calling for a binding code of conduct for the Supreme Court. This is common sense. The court’s current voluntary ethics code is weak and self-enforced. Justices should be required to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest. Every other federal judge is bound by an enforceable code of conduct, and there is no reason for the Supreme Court to be exempt. All three of these reforms are supported by a majority of Americans— as well as conservative and liberal constitutional scholars. And I want to thank the bipartisan Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States for its insightful analysis, which informed some of these proposals.

President Joe Biden for The Washington Post on Supreme Court reforms (07.29.2024).

President Joe Biden wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post this morning about his plan to reform the Supreme Court. His plans to fix the nation’s highest court include 3 key items:

Term limits of 18 years.

Binding code of ethics.

Constitutional Amendment that states Presidents cannot have immunity for crimes committed while in office.

These plans are supported by the majority of Americans.

[stars-obsession-pit]

Hello! Can do a chapter fic off this fic prompt Danny phantom x dc: https://www.tumblr.com/corkinavoid/767516270934556672/dpxdc-legal-power?source=share

This isn’t a one-to-one recreation of that dialogue but it’s based on that as a framework/premise

Batman dropped down into the room behind a pair of figures—a teenage boy and a slumped adult—letting his landing create an audible thump to alert them of his presence.

If the teen noticed, he didn’t react. Even as Bruce approached, he continued to stare impassively at the wheezing figure on the ground, an old wooden bat with flaking green paint on its side loosely held in his right hand. Bruce had already suspected who the figure would be since he arrived, but seeing the Joker so broken was still bizarre. No laughing, no schemes. He didn’t even seem to be attempting to escape his binds, just… lying there, almost as if pinned in place.

Bruce paused a step behind the teen. “I don’t know what the Joker did to you, but this isn’t the right way to go about this.”

The teen scoffed, and Bruce felt a painful lurch in his chest as he was reminded oh so strongly of his son Jason. “And what, let him go kill more people?”

“I know he deserves to face justice, but not like this. Everyone deserves a right to fair trial. No one person should be judge, jury, and executioner.”

The teen turned to look at him with glowing green eyes, and Batman felt himself freeze. He had faced gods before, yet even using that as a comparison felt like an understatement. The boy’s eyes belonged to someone far older than his teenage form implied, and they radiated power. Inevitability.

When the teen—no, the entity—spoke again, his words carried an unearthly echo. “Perhaps, but I’m not acting for just myself.” He paused, glanced down at the Joker, then asked almost conversationally, “Do you know how many people he’s killed?”

Another pause, but before Bruce could even try to answer, the entity continued, “Eight hundred and fifty-six. He’s ended the lives of eight hundred and fifty-six human souls. I can tell you about every single one, if you want. About who they were, what their dreams were before he killed them. About the pain they felt at his hands.”

He punctuated the word ‘pain’ by raising up the wooden bat in his hands and ramming its end down onto the Joker’s arm. He let out a wheeze, muffled by the gag in his mouth.

“I have a duty to my people. I am the King of the In-Between and of all the souls that pass through it—even ones whose stays were as brief as his. I am the rightful arbiter of his fate. And with that power, I sentence him to death.”

He raised the bat again, adjusting his grip so he’d hit with the side rather than the end this time, then paused and let out a chuckle. “Of course, just because it’s based on some justice doesn’t mean I can’t have a bit of fun with it too.” He swung the bat down, slamming it into the Joker’s side, then hooked it under the clown’s torso and flicked him up through the air to slam into the wall. “We all really hate this guy.”

With the entity’s attention fully turned away from him as he sauntered towards the Joker’s slumped figure, Bruce could finally unfreeze himself.

Even if the Ghost King did have the right to pass judgement on Joker, Bruce still couldn’t let torture go on like this. He wouldn’t win a direct fight, but he could hopefully at least grab the Joker and bring him over to the police. Carefully, he reached for some of the smoke bombs and batarangs on his belt and readied his grapple. He’d have to do this very, very fast.

But before he could move, another figure entered the scene. Red Hood, emerging from the shadows on the far side of the room, an unexpected bit of a pep to his step.

“Nice to see someone else who gets that that bastard needs to die. But if I may make a suggestion, how ‘bout you use a crowbar instead of that old bat? It’d be a bit more… fitting.”

[originalleftist]

Happy 4th of July!

If this day means anything, work to make America once more a country where no person, not even the President, is above the law.

[mylionheart2]

[toenzy]

That didn't take long.

[rebuiltzine]

Holy Hell, Maryland: What the Heck Is Going on in Reichert v. Hornbeck?

I wasn’t planning to write this article. In fact, I was working on something else entirely when I stumbled upon the court file of Jeffrey Reichert v. Sarah Hornbeck, a child custody case out of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. And I said, out loud, “Holy f@#$ing s&!@.” This is not just a case. This is a portal to the underworld of family court — a Kafkaesque saga that’s been dragging on for…

[andradrawsstuff]

Hey UK, wtf is going on? 😀

Our boy Sonic would NEVER let any of this slide, so why should we? They lost me with the Supreme Court ruling but now this stuff with Nigel is like a brick to the face. Stupid stupid hate virus is spreading everywhere now. Why can’t people just be left alone and free?

Feel free to yoink these and use as whatever I just thought I’d make a clear statement with where I stand in all this mess

[exposing-yusuf-olatunji-fatai]

How Does a Judge See Fit to Remove 3 of 4 Children From a Mother To Give To a Domestic Abuser?

Ask yourself how will a Judge see fit to give 3 children 2 girls aged 5, and 6 and one boy aged 8 to a domestic abuser and one who had been charged with child cruelty in the 3rd degree? How will a judge make such an error in judgment considering the heavily weighed evidence of a regular pattern of conduct from Yusuf? How can a judge reasonablely remove the 3 children from the mother who raised…

[rederiss]

Headcanon unlocked: Jeremy knows how to shoot a gun and punch a bitch. He just chooses not to.

Look, I love softboy Jeremy. He rocks it. But I feel he got some hidden crazy behind those Lucious brown eyes. He just knows how to keep it under wraps as to not be THAT person anymore