2A advocates should pray for a full recovery

[VikingsGuy]

Thomas is the only strong advocate for full protection for personal possession of firearms on SCOTUS. Sure, there are others who will vote with him, but he appears to be the only one with passion for taking cases and for demanding strict scrutiny status for 2A.

High court won't say whether Thomas remains hospitalized

The Supreme Court declined to say Wednesday whether 73-year-old Justice Clarence Thomas remains in the hospital, though he had been expected to be released by Tuesday evening.

www.startribune.com

 

[Ben Lamb]

He may be good on one issue, but he's been terrible on a host of others. So, I'll pray for his recovery, and his retirement to be spent in good health.

 

[Irrelevant]

I will second the wishes for a speedy recovery, but his thoughts on Citizens United did more to harm our democracy that his support for our weapons have sought to save it.

 

[VikingsGuy]

He may be good on one issue, but he's been terrible on a host of others. So, I'll pray for his recovery, and his retirement to be spent in good health.

He and Sotomayor are both so predictable and inflexible I find them both rather boring - they are the most reluctant of the justices to find reasoned middle-ground solutions and tend to make everything die on the hill issues - not my preference in effective justices.

 

[pabearhunter]

Anyone that swears to uphold the Constitution should do just that .

 

[VikingsGuy]

If GOP doesn't get the white house in 2024, I would guess SCOTUS balance will be 5-4 and not 6-3. That will put Roberts in the driver's seat and he is the ultimate middle of the road justice - much to the dismay of right and left.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Anyone that swears to uphold the Constitution should do just that .

They all do. But the question is what does it say. And if you think that is simple, you haven't read the whole thing carefully. There are at least a dozen sections that are nearly indecipherable using proper English rules of construction. Hell if the founding fathers had the internet back in their day they would be constantly blasted by the likes of @wllm1313 for their nearly random use of commas and semi-colons.

 

[pabearhunter]

They all do. But the question is what does it say. And if you think that is simple, you haven't read the whole thing carefully. There are at least a dozen sections that are nearly indecipherable using proper English rules of construction. Hell if the founding fathers had the internet back in their day they would be constantly blasted by the likes of @wllm1313 for their nearly random use of commas and semi-colons.

Bets on how long.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Roberts has been an interesting character to watch develop as a jurist.

I've been impressed with Gorsuch as well. Don't agree with 100% but you can see the solid reasoning.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

They all do. But the question is what does it say. And if you think that is simple, you haven't read the whole thing carefully. There are at least a dozen sections that are nearly indecipherable using proper English rules of construction. Hell if the founding fathers had the internet back in their day they would be constantly blasted by the likes of @wllm1313 for their nearly random use of commas and semi-colons.

At the very least it would have been nice if they had defined some terms.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Roberts has been an interesting character to watch develop as a jurist.

I've been impressed with Gorsuch as well. Don't agree with 100% but you can see the solid reasoning.

I love Gorsuch (often but don't always agree) as he builds from first principles and is a clear writer. Roberts seems to be more of a "caretaker" of SCOTUS societal credibility more than having a strong direct principled approach -- this has created some odd opinions from him.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Roberts seems to be more of a "caretaker" of SCOTUS societal credibility more than having a strong direct principled approach -- this has created some odd opinions from him.

That's probably my greatest appreciation for him - his understanding of posterity and why the institution is so vital to our Democratic Republic. Caretakers are how we keep our treasured institutions, and our constitution.

 

[noharleyyet]

I miss Ruth and Antonin...

 

[Ben Lamb]

I miss Ruth and Antonin...

Islands in the stream
That is what they were
No one in between
How could they be wrong?
Judge away with them
To another world
And they relied on each other, ah ha
From one jurist to another, ah ha

 

[Sytes]

More interesting though not too offsetting is Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination by Biden to replace Breyer who is retiring this July.

I'm pretty fearful of a nomination who is "lauded" by The Gifford's Anti Second Amendment Organization with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers board member (now former?) Busse as Gifford's Senior Advisor.

 

[VikingsGuy]

More interesting though not too offsetting is Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination by Biden to replace Breyer who is retiring this July.

I'm pretty fearful of a nomination who is "lauded" by The Gifford's Anti Second Amendment Organization with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers board member (now former?) Busse as Gifford's Senior Advisor.

We lose a bridge builder on the court, but not a single outcome will be changed in substituting Breyer for her. Outcomes are determined by the 5th most liberal/5th most conservative justice - Breyer was not this and has never been this so any Biden appointee merely retains status quo. The 3rd most liberal (or maybe 2nd most liberal) justice makes no difference.

 

[Sytes]

The 3rd most liberal (or maybe 2nd most liberal) justice makes no difference.

How would you rank our current SCOTUS, including Breyer (as it is)? Liberal and conservative.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Most conservative:

Thomas
Alito
Barrett
Kavanaugh
Gorsuch
Roberts
Breyer
Kagan
(Jackson)
Sotomayor

Most liberal


It really is too early to order Barrett, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Jackson but this is likely fairly close.

 

[bucdoego]

For your consideration. Liberal to Conservative rankings:

Sotomayor
Breyer
Kagan

(The "Liberal Wing" of SCOTUS are all well below the median - see graph)

Roberts (just at the median, so barely qualifies as "conservative")
Kavanaugh (noted to vote with Roberts much of the time)
Barrett
Gorsuch
Alito
Thomas

It is early to evaluate the three most recent additions to SCOTUS, IMAO. Though Kavanaugh has show his cards a bit. What happens with some of the more critical rulings this term should inform us a lot. As there is no appellate record for Jackson, I suspect that is why there hasn't been much ranking attempted yet. From what has come out at the Judiciary Committee hearings, she may challenge Sotomayor's status as most liberal. It wouldn't surprise me.

Below is some data you may find of interest. It is not as current as I'd like to make an evaluation, but better than a pure SWAG, IMAO.

Ideological leanings of United States Supreme Court justices - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Graph_of_Martin-Quinn_Scores_of_Supreme_Court_Justices_1937-Now.png

 

[Sytes]

That graph is interesting. Hope you don't mind, thought I'd post it up.