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submitted 6 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Legal experts say its time for the Supreme Court's ethics code to grow some teeth

Legal experts are lamenting the lack of an enforceable judicial ethics code, with some calling for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's recusal, following a New York Times report that a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement to reject the 2020 election was flown outside Alito’s home in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Ten leading legal experts told Salon Friday that the conduct — the flying of an upside-down flag, a known symbol of the movement to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, at a justice's home — appears to violate the Supreme Court's own ethics code, adopted last last year, by creating an appearance of bias.

Those experts said it’s far past time for the nine justices who enjoy lifetime appointments to hold themselves to the highest ethical standards. But, they noted, the Supreme Court has shown itself reluctant to do so.

"The situation is out of control," Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush who worked with Justice Alito on his 2006 Senate confirmation, told Salon. "This is after the insurrection, so it's really him weighing in, getting involved publicly in a dispute over the insurrection."

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[-] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 155 points 6 months ago

Every judge appointed by the orange sandwich is illegitimate and needs to be removed

[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 44 points 6 months ago

Unfortunately, that’s extremely unlikely. The last Supreme Court Justice to be impeached was Samuel Chase in 1805. He was acquitted and continued to serve until his death.

They remain seated until they choose to step down or die. The average Justice serves for 16 years, but have served for as long as 34 years. Trump fucked a generation in one term.

[-] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 months ago

Can't Biden just expand it?

[-] DaleGribble88@programming.dev 15 points 6 months ago

Yes, but the political blowback from both parties would likely not be worth it. Especially because Republicans would immediately add double the amount Biden would, and it would very likely quickly grow into full bore shenanigans.

[-] Pfeffy@lemmy.world 23 points 6 months ago

We can't fight back ever because the other side might fight back even more. So let's just capituate now. Story of Democrats my entire life. At best.

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[-] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Expand what? The Supreme Court? That requires congressional action. It’s happened several times before.

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIII-S1-8-3/ALDE_00013559/

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[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 34 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Same goes for the other ones to be nominated by a president who lost the vote for president (Alito and Roberts), and the other likely sex offender whose victim(s) never got a fair hearing or investigation, Clarence Brown.

[-] snooggums@midwest.social 31 points 6 months ago

Clarence Brown.

Clarence Thomas, as in uncle Tom.

[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 17 points 6 months ago

That's the one, yeah. The one who said that there's no loss of dignity inherent to slavery.

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[-] timespace@sh.itjust.works 10 points 6 months ago

I’m as anti Trump as anyone, but I have some bad news for you - he was legitimately voted into office as the President and his appointments are therefore legitimate.

What McConnell did in blocking Obama’s appointment should be criminal. That BS needs to change.

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[-] rayyy@lemmy.world 72 points 6 months ago

Thomas AND Alito are unquestionably in Donald Von Shitzinpantz's diaper.

[-] pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online 14 points 6 months ago
[-] TheLowestStone@lemmy.world 17 points 6 months ago
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[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 11 points 6 months ago

Matryoshka diaper

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 65 points 6 months ago

Alito's response: "Ha ha, fuck you. I do what I want."

You can call for America's Mullahs to do things, but they won't do them because they don't have to.

[-] Bookmeat@lemmy.world 63 points 6 months ago

In the olden days, if you didn't have a term limit and you were needed to step down from your post you were assassinated.

[-] Supervisor194@lemmy.world 41 points 6 months ago

What a coward. The country can go fuck itself, so just own up to it you pussy. But no no, he's all "my wife did it." So not only can we go fuck ourselves, we're also rock stupid.

[-] Got_Bent@lemmy.world 38 points 6 months ago

There's pretty much zero oversight for a supreme court justice, right? I'm kinda surprised he didn't just lynch a few brown and/or gay people in his front yard because doing so would have equal consequence - none.

[-] ripcord@lemmy.world 33 points 6 months ago

In theory he can be impeached.

In practice, he can't be impeached.

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 12 points 6 months ago

While I get what you mean, they aren't immune to prosecution for acts outside of their role. He would hopefully still get arrested and charged for lynching people. (Hopefully)

[-] Got_Bent@lemmy.world 32 points 6 months ago

Tried, convicted, appealed all the way up to his own court, conviction overturned.

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

I mean, his fellow judges might be corrupt enough to do so, but he couldn't sit on the judging panel for that.

[-] MumboJumbo@lemmy.world 18 points 6 months ago

Could he not? I'm genuinely interested, because I was under the impression that there wasn't anything that could force the justices to recuse themselves.

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[-] barsquid@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

They don't recuse themselves if their wife was part of an insurrection and there are no consequences for that.

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[-] exanime@lemmy.today 6 points 6 months ago

Oh please... Lol

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[-] jaybone@lemmy.world 36 points 6 months ago

lol “creating an appearance of bias.”

[-] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 28 points 6 months ago

the government has a dress code, but no ethics code.

fascinating.

[-] Pfeffy@lemmy.world 18 points 6 months ago

This is a silly take. SCOTUS members have specific protection in the Constitution that needs to be dealt with. They have to be impeached. There's no other legal remedy. Republicans are a cult and have broken the government, just as the funding fathers feared.

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[-] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 19 points 6 months ago

I'm a Law and Order Republican and I'm CONFUSED as to why people are so CONCERNED that the HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND is Corrupt. WHO CARES?!

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 24 points 6 months ago

Needs moar caps to be truly conservative.

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[-] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

So based on how things have gone so far with the fascist in chief, we can expect no consequences at all, or that he will die of old age before any such consequences can be agreed upon. Sound about right?

[-] HopeOfTheGunblade@kbin.social 14 points 6 months ago

Literally impossible right now. It'd take a 2/3ds senate majority to remove him.

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[-] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago
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[-] dhork@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

Yeah, like people in this country would listen to experts. That's basically admitting you don't know everything already.

[-] kumatomic@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 6 months ago

You know we don't have to wait for the country to fall apart violently. There no shame in just calling it quits and everyone apply for sanctuary at their country of choice all at once.

[-] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 12 points 6 months ago

Nah, no need to leave this land and its resources to the most evil.

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this post was submitted on 18 May 2024
758 points (98.6% liked)

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