Miscellaneous

Good Luck, Justice Stevens!

By Anne Skove, Esq.

Justice Stevens is responsible for handling emergency matters from the Sixth Circuit. We hope his staff includes at least one of each: medic, mediator, strict parent, referee, umpire, , Judge Judy, and Cindy Gray.

The Sixth Circuit is taking the "fun" out of dysfunctional, making the political personal, and disconcerting voters of all stripes with its flip-flopping on the Brunner case.

Sure, federal judges don't need to join hands and sing Kumbaya, but what can be called (at best) "internal strife" could wreak havoc on the national election.

"Not a pretty sight. It casts doubt on the role of the courts as an instittuion apart from politics," says Arthur Hellman of Pitt Law. "It's been some time since we've seen this kind of sniping. I thought they had taken a breath and decided this is not the way federal judges should act. It's not very judicious."

Remind us again why appointing judges is soooo much better?

See 6th Circuit's Infighting Gets Personal, Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer (October 16, 2008). Note that this appeared above the fold in our local paper -- election law isn't just for wonky-headed bloggers!

See also Ohio Files Appeal to Supreme Court on Voter Registration Data, Mary Pat Flaherty, Washington Post (October 16, 2008), and Ohio Seeks to Block Voter Challenge Ruling, Lyle Denniston, SCOTUSblog (October 16, 2008).

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on October 16, 2008 (boomark / email).