Dunno if you heard, but Roberts is new SCOTUS chief

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I don't understand why they don't promote from within. Why bring in a new guy and make him chief right off the bat? Are the other justices not qualified? And another thing, why are they appointed for life? What good is that accomplishing? Shouldn't we strive for term limits on every public office (esp. Congress)?

Greg
 
Bush's call as to promote from within or new blood. This is a smart move however. He's younger so all things equal, he'll be on the bench longer, if he promoted Scalia or Thomas that would be a third Senate confirmation hearing and finally, GWB likes Roberts better :) IMO Roberts was always Bush's pick for the top job, but when O'Connor left first he put the ball in motion. Now all the preliminary stuff is over and Bush changes the nomination to Renquist's seat instead of O'Connor's.

IIRC the way O'Connor letter of resignation was written, she'll stick around until her replacement is confirmed. So with just Roberts confirmed, we still have a full court. This is good all around.

Edit: As for Souter -- No, it's not official.
 
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Roberts was a clerk for Rehnquist back in the day so I guess the theory goes that he will be a similar chief justice. I sure hope Bush knows what he's doing and we don't get a stealth liberal.
 
TarpleyG:
Congress has to confirm a promotion from Associate to Chief Justice, so it'd be a third political fight the Republicans would have to endure, rather than spend all their political capital on just two. Only 3 of the last 16 Chief Justices were previously Associate Justices.

Kharn
 
They're appointed for life because that's what the Constitution says. Term limits are just about the stupidest idea anybody ever came up with.
 
Term limits are just about the stupidest idea anybody ever came up with.
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You're telling me you think it's a good thing that the likes of Kerry and Kennedy have permanent jobs in the Senate? Volunteering for office was never meant to be a livelihood.

Greg
 
the lifetime term was implemented so that the judges could make their decisions unbiasedly and without fear of political repercussion. Having judges elected who have to run campaigns every 4 years opens it up to the same political corruption that all the other elected officials have. Possibly even more so.

I should know, I live in TX where are judges are elected. Court decisions can literally be bought here with campaign contributions.
 
the lifetime term was implemented so that the judges could make their decisions unbiasedly and without fear of political repercussion. Having judges elected who have to run campaigns every 4 years opens it up to the same political corruption that all the other elected officials have. Possibly even more so.
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There is another option -- long but limited terms. That way you don't have judges worrying about what it takes to get elected, and possibly selling their decisions for campaign contributions, but you also don't get ivory tower syndrome from untouchable judges who have completely lost touch with the real world after decades on the bench.

Back when the Constitution was ratified, people didn't commonly live to 70 or 80 or more years old. If you appointed a 50 year old Judge to the Federal bench "for life", you'd be lucky to get 10 years of service.

I think we ought to go to a system where federal judges are appointed for a term of years, with no possibility of re-appointment. It would have to be a long term, but still reasonably limited. Give them a nice pension after that and prohibit them from taking private employment, so they don't have an incentive to made decisions in return for payback after they leave the bench (though that can certainly happen now, as nothing prevents a federal judge from quitting and getting a private sector job). They could be elevated to a higher court, but not reappointed to the same court or to another position at the same level (District Court, Circuit Court, Supreme Court, etc).

I'd think a 15 year term would be about right.
 
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