Today in Supreme Court History: December 8, 1902

12/8/1902: Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes takes the oath.

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

Comments

[DaivdBehar]

An exception to the lawyer dumbass. Never wrong.

[Libertymike]

Wrong!

[SMP0328]

In Schenk v. United States (1919), he read merely being anti-war as a "clear and present danger" not worthy of First Amendment protection.

In Buck v. Bell (1927), he endorsed eugenics and allowed a State to forcibly sterilize a woman.

Holmes could not only be wrong, but egregiously so.

[apedad]

To be fair, it was an unanimous decision so the entire blame shouldn't be placed on Holmes (although he wrote the opinion).

[SMP0328]

True, but Holmes is the one of them referred to as being a great man. That whole court, Holmes included, consisted of liberty-hating, authoritarian-supporting jerks.

[DaivdBehar]

I am quite aware of those decisions. I repeat, never wrong.

[DaivdBehar]

An article criticized his support for felony murder. I redid the math in the article. Holmes was right, the authors made a math error. Felony murder laws reduce the murder rate.

[Queen Amalthea]

Even when he said "Three generations of David Behar's is enough?"

[billatcrea]

David Behar's what. His opinions? His progeny?

[Dan Schiavetta]

“I hereby swear to drive David Bernstein crazy from beyond the grave.”

[Cal Cetín]

Going by that photo, he could have been a harmless Colonel Blimp, hanging out at the club

https://media.newmindmedia.com/TellUs/image/?file=The-Club_2_933698845.jpg&dh=533&dw=800

No, not that club, this one -

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2017/01/29/PX1936001_wwwAlamycom_AS7FE1-Reform-Club-xlarge_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwTB1vEZosSKzLo4QRoMyX30.jpg

...as I said, hanging out at the club, harrumphing about the state of the world.

But he had to *contribute* to the state of the world.