Fogbow

MeidasTouch @MeidasTouch wrote: Justice Alito is complaining about people questioning the integrity of the Supreme Court as a Supreme Court Justice’s wife is being deposed for her role in an insurrection against the United States. Can’t make this stuff up.

raison de arizona wrote: ↑Thu Sep 29, 2022 1:21 pm Worth pointing out to Alito.

MeidasTouch @MeidasTouch wrote: Justice Alito is complaining about people questioning the integrity of the Supreme Court as a Supreme Court Justice’s wife is being deposed for her role in an insurrection against the United States. Can’t make this stuff up.

Kaivan Shroff @KaivanShroff wrote: NEW: Justice Amy Coney Barrett withheld her husband's work from an ethics disclosure.

In rare intervention, state chief justices warn SCOTUS away from blowing up federalism

In a rare foray of state courts’ chief justices into U.S. Supreme Court matters, the Conference of Chief Justices filed a brief - this month to weigh in against the radical, once-fringe elections law fight brought by North Carolina lawmakers, Moore v. Harper. The Republican lawmakers are using the “independent state legislatures” theory, and—long-debunked fraudulent arguments for it—to eliminate the role of the state courts in providing a check on gerrymandering and voter suppression,

The Conference is comprised of Chief Justice John Roberts equivalents for all 50 of the states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S, territories. In our federalist system, states are recognized as sovereign governments within the limits proscribed by the Constitution. “State sovereignty includes the power of each state to structure its own government and determine the relationships between the legislative and judicial branches,” the conference argues in its brief. If the SCOTUS finds for the lawmakers, they would be mandating an erosion of those state-level checks and balances, taking away the role of state courts in reviewing legislative decisions about federal elections.

It's the biggest federalism issue in a long time,” Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court told The New York Times’ Adam Liptak. “Maybe ever.”

The North Carolina lawmakers are arguing for a ridiculously literal interpretation of the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which states that the “Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof,” arguing that “Legislature” in means that only legislatures have power at the state level to shape the rules governing federal elections in their states. The other clause the lawmakers dispute, the one that presents an imminent threat in the next presidential election, is the Presidential Electors Clause, which reads, “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors.”

The use of the “Legislature” in these clauses has been interpreted for forever to be a sort of shorthand for the state’s lawmaking processes, encompassing all of the procedures and limitations implied, including judicial review.

Tristan Snell @TristanSnell wrote: The FBI received 4500 tips on Brett Kavanaugh.

A FOIA request for the tips reveals that hundreds of pages had been deleted -- and over 1000 of the tips had been redacted COMPLETELY.

What is everyone hiding about Kavanaugh?

Must-read full story from @carabayles @Law360 :

A FOIA request for the tips reveals that hundreds of pages had been deleted -- and over 1000 of the tips had been redacted COMPLETELY.

Mark Joseph Stern @mjs_DC wrote: Justice Jackson's husband wore socks with his wife's face on them to her investiture ceremony!

Ariane de Vogue @Arianedevogue wrote: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was formally sworn in Friday with her family in the audience. Herewith, a first look at the socks her husband, Dr. Patrick Jackson, wore to court : first reported (but not pictured!) by @scotusreporter

Mark Joseph Stern @mjs_DC wrote: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s first questions from the bench, grilling a lawyer trying to gut the Clean Water Act. When he says a provision of the law is “unenlightening,” KBJ responds dryly: “Let me try to bring some enlightenment to it.”

Justice Jackson continues to grill Damien Schiff, the lawyer taking aim at the Clean Water Act, asking pointedly: “Why is it that your conception of this does not relate in any way to Congress’ primary objective?” Then she and Justice Sotomayor tag-team a follow-up.

Supreme Court declines to consider overturning racist 'Insular Cases'

Stefani Reynolds Lawrence Hurley
Mon, October 17, 2022 at 5:37 PM·

The Supreme Court declined Monday to consider whether American Samoans have full U.S. citizenship at birth, a dispute that would have given the justices the opportunity to repudiate past rulings suffused with racist language that helped determine that people in U.S. territories would not have the same rights as other Americans.

A group of American Samoans challenging the current law, under which people from the group of islands in the Pacific Ocean are considered U.S. “nationals” at birth but not citizens, say it is a vestige of racist policies toward territories. They say the Justice Department, in defending the law, and an appeals court, in upholding it, relied upon the so-called Insular Cases, a series of long-criticized early 20th century Supreme Court rulings. The Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case means the lower court ruling remains in place.

The challenge was brought by three American Samoans who live in Utah, John Fitisemanu, Pale Tuli and Rosavita Tuli, as well as the Southern Utah Pacific Island Coalition, an advocacy group.

“The subordinate, inferior non-citizen National status relegates American Samoans to second-class participation in the Republic," the challengers’ lawyers say in court papers. They note, for example, that U.S. nationals cannot run for president or serve in Congress. If they live in a state, they cannot vote and are barred from certain occupations.

U.S. nationals can live and work anywhere within the U.S. and travel under U.S. passports, although the challengers’ lawyers note that their passports include a statement saying “NOT A UNITED STATES CITIZEN,” which they say carries a stigma. U.S. nationals can apply for full U.S. citizenship through an expedited process.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-cour ... 05128.html

Supreme Court declines to consider overturning racist 'Insular Cases'

AndyinPA wrote: ↑Wed Oct 26, 2022 8:59 pm Senator Kennedy did not vote to confirm Alito.

Clarence Thomas had lunch with Ron DeSantis one day before abortion rights struck down: emails

U.S. Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas joined Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for lunch over the summer, according to newly obtained emails.

The messages, which were obtained by American Oversight under the state's open records law, show Thomas' assistant coordinating details of the June 23, 2021, lunch at the Supreme Court with four of the justice's clerks, which adds new details to their relationship.

A previous batch of emails obtained by the government watchdog that included correspondence from Ginni Thomas suggested the justice had been in touch with DeSantis around that same time, and the new messages show they met for lunch the day before the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling that overturned abortion rights.

The justice's assistant Shean Kelly Makel reached out to DeSantis' office on April 8 to share the biographies of four Thomas clerks for the governor to review for possible jobs, and they made plans on May 20 for the lunch, although it's not clear what they discussed there.