Why would I want to do that?
Posted by Thad
Sheelzebub points to an interesting AP story on Roberts that suggests he may need to recuse himself from many cases:
WASHINGTON -- John Roberts is an appeals court judge who has a broad roster of clients from his days in private practice, a multimillion-dollar portfolio and a spouse who is a successful lawyer.As a result, he probably will have to disqualify himself from many Supreme Court cases should he become chief justice. It is a situation that, while not unusual, would leave the nine-member court with a potential for tie votes.
[…]
By law, judges must not participate in cases brought by companies in which judges or family members own stock -- even one share. Justices police themselves when it comes to ethical conflicts and cannot be overruled. [emphasis added]
Well, that's the problem right there, isn't it?
Last year, Justice Antonin Scalia refused to step aside in a case filed by Vice President Dick Cheney, a friend. Cheney and Scalia had taken a hunting vacation together shortly after the court agreed to consider whether the Bush administration had to release information about private meetings of Cheney's energy task force.
So what makes anyone think Roberts would behave any differently?
- Thad
Posted by Thad
