Wanted: Supreme Court Justice. MUST BE QUALIFIED.

Monday, May 4, 2009
The announcement over the weekend that Supreme Court Justice David Souter has decided to retire has everyone scrambling and speculating about who will replace him. Will it be a woman? An African-American? A Hispanic? Some combination?

While I admire Justice Souter and believe he served honorably and with thoughfulness and integrity, I think there's value in having a more diverse SCOTUS bench. I want to see more women on the court, as well as having a proportional representation of minorities. I think doing so will allow SCOTUS to more accurately interpret Constitutional law in light of the diverse society in which we live.

HOWEVER.

The first, middle and last criteria for selecting a Justice must be whether or not they're qualified.

I don't want a woman on the court if that woman is going to be Harriet Miers. I don't want a Hispanic on the court if that Hispanic is going to be Alberto Gonzalez.

Whoever is selected needs to be smart, compassionate, focused, open-minded, and above all, they must have good judgement and know the law.

I can't tell you how very happy I am that the next SCOTUS Justice will be selected by a Constitutional law professor who understands the qualities required for this appointment. I believe he will make a considered decision not based on cronyism, but based on what's best for the U.S.

What a refreshing change.

5 comments:

mom in northern said...

I believe he will make a considered decision not based on cronyism, but based on what's best for the U.S.

Hope spring eternal...
I am more cynical.
Can you spell Bill Clinton?

Janiece said...

Why do you believe the appointments of Ginsburg and Breyer were examples of cronyism? Both of those Justices were qualified by any reasonable standard (Columbia and Harvard Law Professors, Appellate Judges).

Miers and Gonzalez? Not so much.

Jim Wright said...

Gonzalez

O.O

Please don't do that, Janiece.

Steve Buchheit said...

My guess is that it will be a woman, and if it is, Jus. Ginsburg will step down next year and allow Obama to make another appointment.

WendyB_09 said...

Leah Ward Sears, Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, is one of the names at the top of the list.

My boss presents to the Supremes in the morning, I'll let you know what I really think of her after that.

Our appeal is based on a prior 2 year old ruling on destruction of evidence. They agreed there might be an issue that could be subject to review, and are hearing our case. Yay us.

WendyB_09