Today in Supreme Court History: March 31, 1962

3/31/1962: Justice Charles Whittaker resigns.

Justice Charles Whittaker

 

Comments

[Krychek_2]

An example of how funny things work out sometimes. Had he decided to retire a couple of years earlier, Eisenhower might have given us another Earl Warren or William Brennan. Had he waited, Lyndon Johnson might have given us another Thurgood Marshall. Instead we got Byron White.

[Dan Schiavetta]

White was a big disappointment. A good man but not a good judge. He didn’t seem to like his job.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Didn't Eisenhower later say that Earl Warren was the biggest mistake he made as President?

And could the country have stood another Warren or Brennan -- I'm told that there were billboards calling for Warren's impeachment, maybe White was what the country needed at the time.

And imagine how history would be different if Robert Kennedy had been the nominee...

[Krychek_2]

There were billboards calling for Earl Warren's impeachment; conservative groups made impeaching Earl Warren their little project. My mother had an impeach Earl Warren button; I may still have it somewhere. But as with most political impeachments, nothing came of it.

And I can think of other mistakes Eisenhower made as president that I would consider even bigger.