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Court Justice Worried About Criticism
Yahoo! News ^ | August 9, 2005 | GINA HOLLAND

Posted on 08/09/2005 8:57:47 PM PDT by mrobison

CHICAGO - Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said Tuesday that rulings on difficult subjects like gay rights and the death penalty have left courts vulnerable to political attacks that are threatening judicial independence.

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Breyer urged lawyers to help educate people about court responsibility to be an independent decision-maker.

"If you say seven or eight or nine members of the Supreme Court feel there's a problem ... you're right," he told the American Bar Association. "It's this edge on a lot of issues."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., who was speaking with Breyer, said: "The politics of judges is getting to be red hot." He said Supreme Court rulings on the Pledge of Allegiance and Ten Commandments have captured the public's interest and polarized Democrats and Republicans.

"There's nothing that's not on the table," former Solicitor General Theodore Olson said of the court's work, which this fall includes issues like abortion, capital punishment and assisted suicide.

Breyer said the nine-member court is focused on constitutional limits on major fights of the day. "We're sort of at the outer bounds. And we can't control politics of it, and I don't think you want us to try to control politics of it," he said.

Congressional leaders including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, have criticized justices in recent months. DeLay was particularly critical of the court's refusal to stop Terri Schiavo's death and at a death penalty decision that cited international cases.

Breyer defended using overseas legal opinions as a guide only, adding, "It has hit a political nerve."

Breyer, Olson and Graham were discussing the future of courts on the final day of the ABA's annual meeting in Chicago.

Also Tuesday, the group was debating whether to endorse federal protection for journalists who refuse to reveal their sources to prosecutors. Passage of such a measure would authorize the organization to lobby Congress, where "shield law" proposals are pending.

Judicial independence has been a major theme at the meeting of the ABA, a 400,000-member group.

The group's policymaking board passed a resolution urging elected officials and others to support and defend judges. New group President Michael Greco of Boston said judges have faced physical threats, and threats of impeachment from Washington political leaders unhappy with court decisions.

"If we do not protect our courts, our courts cannot protect us," Greco said.

On another subject, Greco defended the ABA's role in checking the background of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts and other federal judicial nominees. The committee has spent the past two weeks reviewing Roberts' work on an appeals court and interviewing people who have worked with him.

"The ABA does not, and we will not, protect the interests of any political party or faction, nor the interests of any ideological or interest group," said Greco, who previously oversaw the judge review committee.

Breyer told the group that the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor is a personal loss and loss for the nation.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism
KEYWORDS: scotus; stephenbreyer
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To: alancarp
Yup. Spoken like a true Elitist.

Agreed. They truly act like they want to play God with our lives. Breyer is lower than pond scum. He knows less about the US Constitution than Mark Levin.

21 posted on 08/09/2005 9:35:55 PM PDT by liberty2004
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To: alancarp
Yup. Spoken like a true Elitist.

I saw the video with Breyer. He is like many males on the left -- total sissy's. They are truly girlie men. The other type of males on the left are loud mouth idiots (Dean, Moore, etc.)

22 posted on 08/09/2005 9:38:59 PM PDT by liberty2004
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To: mrobison
If he thinks citing to foreign precedent hits a nerve, he's got some more nerve hits coming. Stealing private property doesn;t sit well across the politcal spectrum.

I'll tell ya, the more I listen to these guys the more I'm convinced that the constitution needs amending to set term limits for federal judges. These clowns think they are above criticism. There's a word for that, it's called NUTS!

23 posted on 08/09/2005 9:39:10 PM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: mrobison

Hey Stevie! Here's a rule of thumb for you to go by. If it's not in the Constitution, DON'T SAY IT IS. You can't go wrong. Jerk.


24 posted on 08/09/2005 9:40:50 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (We did not lose in Vietnam. We left.)
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To: mrobison
But wait! There's more...

Here's some previous stupidity from the good Justice Breyer:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/941589/posts

25 posted on 08/09/2005 9:45:01 PM PDT by mrobison (We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams.)
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To: mrobison

"Protect our judges"??? From whom, THE PEOPLE???

How about PROTECTING the CONSTITUTION?


26 posted on 08/09/2005 9:45:31 PM PDT by nightowl
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To: mrobison
"Breyer urged lawyers to help educate people about...responsibility..."

You have to be kidding me.

27 posted on 08/09/2005 9:48:39 PM PDT by mrobison (We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams.)
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To: mrobison
May I sympathetically suggest Justice Breyer relieve himself of this awful stress and strain by submitting his immediate resignation?
28 posted on 08/09/2005 9:55:23 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (There are people in power who are REALLY stupid.)
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To: mrobison
Coming after the political fights over the 20 failed judicial nominees and especially with the Roberts nomination, this scolding by the liberal Breyer doesn't exactly help Roberts' case with conservatives.

But then, that might be his objective.

Does anyone else think that these kinds of comments are themselves a kind of judicial activism? This guy's acting like a politician.
29 posted on 08/09/2005 9:57:48 PM PDT by George W. Bush
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To: mrobison
The court system, without writing a 5000 word essay - in a single word: Sucks.

If the did what they were supposed to do, instead of playing politics with their rulings, people wouldn't be as PO'd at them as they are now.

Really, judge, don't blame the people for thinking you're an idiot. You had a large role in that, yourself.
30 posted on 08/09/2005 9:58:37 PM PDT by Fido969 ("Character, character, character" - J.F. Kerry)
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Comment #31 Removed by Moderator

To: mrobison
"If we do not protect our courts, our courts cannot protect us," Greco said.

Just let me protect myself, and leave me the hell alone.
32 posted on 08/09/2005 10:01:27 PM PDT by Husker24
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To: Rodney King

You forgot one very important check on the Supreme Court. According to Article 3, Section 2, Clause 2: "In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make." Therefore, Congress can remove entire classes of cases from the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.


33 posted on 08/09/2005 10:22:47 PM PDT by MarcusTulliusCicero
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To: MarcusTulliusCicero

Wow. I never noticed that before.


34 posted on 08/09/2005 10:39:56 PM PDT by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along.)
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To: mrobison

Hey Breyer, you're a lousy judge, it's as simple as that!


35 posted on 08/09/2005 10:44:02 PM PDT by puroresu (Conservatism is an observation; Liberalism is an ideology)
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To: Congressman Billybob; upchuck


36 posted on 08/09/2005 11:05:31 PM PDT by Just A Nobody (I - LOVE - my attitude problem!)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Nice. Well put.

It's this part that gets me:

"...judicial independence..."

What IS that?


37 posted on 08/09/2005 11:12:05 PM PDT by cgk (I'm back, but... slowly. Malkin/North/Pro-life ping lists will be back ASAP. GOD BLESS!)
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To: liberty2004
He knows less about the US Constitution than Mark Levin
I don't think anyone knows more about it than Mr. Levin. :)
38 posted on 08/09/2005 11:19:53 PM PDT by cgk (I'm back, but... slowly. Malkin/North/Pro-life ping lists will be back ASAP. GOD BLESS!)
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To: mrobison; Peach; Justanobody; MACVSOG68
Hey Lindsey! What in Hell are you doing in Chicago kissing Breyer's butt?

You're on recess. Supposed to be out sampling your constituent's opinions on the important matters of the day.

Get yer ass back down here to South Carolina where you belong! Do yer job.

39 posted on 08/09/2005 11:22:04 PM PDT by upchuck ("If our nation be destroyed, it would be from the judiciary." ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: mrobison
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said Tuesday that rulings on difficult subjects like gay rights and the death penalty have left courts vulnerable to political attacks that are threatening judicial independence.

Quit whining about legal activity.

40 posted on 08/09/2005 11:25:21 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (No wonder the Southern Baptist Church threw Greer out: Only one god per church! [Ann Coulter])
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