New at Reason

Julian Sanchez | July 1, 2005

Jesse Walker and historian David Garrow pull back the curtain on a long line of Supreme Court justices too senile, slothful, or strung out to find their gavels with both hands.

Comments

|7.1.05 @ 4:06PM|#

Now it looks like Rehnquest may stay in for another term. I doubt that O'Connor would have stepped down without talking to him about it first (especially since she has disagreed with the administration on so many issues), and Sen. Arlen Specter, who is usually good for inside info on SCOTUS, says that he doubts Rehnquest will step down soon. Chief Justice, c'est la vie.

|7.1.05 @ 4:41PM|#

I wouldn't be surprised if Rehnquist decides to pull a John Paul II and stay where he is until he dies in office. If he was going to retire, the time to at least announce would have been when the news of his cancer went public. If that wouldn't convince him, nothing would.

|7.1.05 @ 6:09PM|#

Since justices are not bound by term-limits, the next best thing is a mandatory retirement age.

|7.1.05 @ 6:33PM|#

Any thoughts as to whether Rhenquist will take to the Mary Jane when the chemo starts playing havoc with his system?

|7.2.05 @ 3:53AM|#

The only problem with a mandatory retirement age, as health care gets better and life expectancy increases, we may get to a point where 60 or 70 won't make some folks as feeble as they are, say, today.

But I'm not saying something shouldn't be done. The fact that Rehnquist has not already stepped down (as Shem said, when he first got cancer) should be a warning sign that he is either feeble-minded, or so wrapped up in the trappings of the SC that he can't bear to step down with dignity.

To nerd out for a moment (talking JRR Tolkien stuff here), it's like how the kings of Numenor would voluntarily relinquish their throne to the heir in the early years, but as the kingdom grew corrupted, they would hold on to the throne until they could no longer perform their duties.

The fact that O'Connor stepped down actually increases my respect for her, which was already growing because of her recent dissentions.

|7.2.05 @ 5:06AM|#

Lowdog, Rehnquist is a Nazgûl-appeasing Denethor, by those lights.

Kevin

|7.2.05 @ 11:21AM|#

Lowdog-

I hear a rumor that Rehnquist is preparing a fleet of warships that will sail to the West and seize the Blessed Lands.

When that expedition fails, his most trusted clerk will flee to the wastelands of Texas and take up his Ring of Power.

|7.2.05 @ 6:53PM|#

Ha! Kev, thoreau, bravo! :)

And welcome back, thoreau. Glad your trip was successful. And glad to hear you enjoyed your journey through AZ. It is beautiful here, but very, very hot!