[sparkscoffee] Re: Fix the Supreme Court
- From: "" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "sblumen123@xxxxxxx" for DMARC)
- To: sparkscoffee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 18 May 2014 21:46:04 -0400 (EDT)
-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis Barbato Sr. <dbarbato1717@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: arkansas <arkansas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Anthony Kusich,
patrickmurphyforcongress. <campaign@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Blumenthal,
Stanley <sblumen123@xxxxxxx>; BLUE, ACT <press@xxxxxxxxxxx>; AARP
<reply-fec21675726d027d-21_HTML-10583709-1066740-451@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
Alexander, Sarah <salexander@xxxxxxxxxxx>; amyklobuchar, info
<info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Admin, underground <admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
araorganizing <araorganizing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; 98%, Other
<info@xxxxxxxxxxx>; AARP
<reply-febe16757263017a-21_HTML-10583709-1066740-574@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Action,
CREDO <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Alex Lawson, Social
<info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Becky Bond, CREDO <act@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
Barbara Easterling, Alliance <President@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; AMERICA, info
<info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; administrator
<administrator@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; BERNIE, BEN <ben@xxxxxxxxxx>; backtalk-
<backtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; aloha <aloha@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; bgtx
<bgtx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; AMA <reply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; AARP
<aarp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Amy, Matt <traininghelp@xxxxxxxxxx>; Action, Kucinich
<messages@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; actionnetwork, Brian <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
8071 <8071@xxxxxxxxxxxx>; ARACommunications
<ARACommunications@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; admin <admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
AARP, Lisa <giving@xxxxxxxx>; America, Virgin <mail@xxxxxxxxxx>; blumenthal,
info <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Anna <anna.galland@xxxxxxxxxx>; allisontant
<allisontant@xxxxxxxxxxx>; begich, info <info@xxxxxxxxxx>; ashowerman
<ashowerman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wed, May 14, 2014 9:06 am
Subject: Fwd: Fix the Supreme Court
From: "Becky Bond, CREDO" act@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fix the Supreme Court
Tell Chief Justice John Roberts:
"A majority of Americans have lost faith in the Supreme Court. As Chief
Justice, it’s your duty to implement changes to protect the court’s integrity
and impartiality and restore the confidence of the American people. The
Roberts’ Court must adopt its own code of conduct that includes the five canons
of the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges, requires that all justices disclose any
activities they engage in that are paid for by others, and ends the practice
whereby justices are the sole decision makers for their own recusals."
Automatically add your name:
Unleashing unlimited money into politics. Gutting the Voting Rights Act.
Striking down affirmative action. Giving corporations personhood. The damage
inflicted by Chief Justice John Roberts’ Supreme Court continues to mount.
A survey released last week shows shows an extreme lack of trust in the court
that cuts across party lines, and gives us a new opportunity to urge action. A
staggering 60% of people believe that justices often let their own personal or
political views influence their decision making. The integrity of the court is
so damaged that almost 75% of respondents would support the end of lifetime
appointments.1
The survey provides an opening to pressure the chief justice to bring the
Supreme Court under a code of ethics. It’s a move he has resisted, despite
several recent examples of justices participating in cases where they had a
clear conflict of interest. Now, with the legacy of his court at stake, he may
finally be willing to act.
Thanks for protecting the integrity of the cour
Tell Chief Justice John Roberts: It’s time to address the crisis in Supreme
Court ethics. Click here to automatically sign the petition.
It’s shocking that the Supreme Court is exempt from the Code of Conduct for
United States Judges, a common sense set of guidelines meant to ensure that
judges rule fairly and conduct themselves in ways that uphold the impartiality
and integrity of the judiciary. Without it, the doors are open for justices to
engage in a range of activities that undermine the credibility of the court.
They are free to participate in cases where they have a clear conflict of
interest. Justice Thomas participated in the Bowman v. Monsanto and Monsanto v.
Geerston cases despite his years as a lawyer for the company. Thomas’ wife
Ginni was paid over $600,000 by the Heritage Foundation, which among other
things aims to expand the rights of corporations, yet he still participated
deciding Citizens United. And though his wife was a frequent critic of the
Affordable Care Act, and advertised herself to conservative groups who had an
explicit agenda of overturning health care reform as a lobbyist who has
“experience and connections,” he did not recuse himself in the case that could
have overturned the law. This term, Justice Scalia participated in oral
arguments for an abortion clinic buffer zone case despite his wife’s longtime
work with crisis pregnancy centers, one of many groups that would be negatively
impacted by attempts to protect women seeking abortion from harassment outside
clinics.2
Supreme Court Justices are also currently free to engage in political activity,
as Justices Thomas and Scalia have done in appearances at Koch
brother-sponsored seminars to advance “free society.”3 Justice Thomas has also
headlined a fundraiser for the Federalist Society, a conservative legal
advocacy organization.4
It’s this kind of behavior that has diminished the integrity of the court, and
led so many Americans to question the impartiality of judges they believe more
often than not make decisions based on politics and personal beliefs.
If Chief Justice Roberts wants to protect the honor of the highest court in the
land, and the legacy of his tenure as chief justice, he’ll take action to
implement reforms now. Click the link below to automatically sign the petition.
http://act.credoaction.com/go/4280?t=5&akid=10653.6796823.xuBD2r
t. Heidi Hess, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets
Automatically add your name:
Learn more about this campaign
“Survey: Majority of Americans want term limits for Supreme Court justices,
think high court is too political,” Katie McDonough, Salon, 05/07/2014.
“Scalia’s recusal dilemma: Is he conflicted on antiabortion “sidewalk
counselors”?,” Lauren Rankin, Salon, 4/21/14.
“Justices Scalia And Thomas's Attendance At Koch Event Sparks Judicial Ethics
Debate,” Sam Stein, Huffington Post, 10/20/2010.
“Clarence Thomas Federalist Society Appearance Sparks Renewed Calls for Supreme
Court Ethics Reform ,” Jessica Mason Pieklo, RH Reality Check, 11/18/2013.
Share on Facebook
Post to your wall
Tweet this
Post to Twitter
© 2014 CREDO. All rights reserved.
.
Other related posts:
- » [sparkscoffee] Re: Fix the Supreme Court
