David Souter

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Time to Make Souter Dissent on Citizens United Public

It could air the court's 'dirty laundry': Richard Hasen

(Newser) - The Supreme Court could soon revisit the issue of campaign finance, and it's time we heard David Souter's opinion on the matter. Souter wrote an unpublished draft dissent against Citizens United, the case that opened the door to super PACs; it was an issue dear to his heart,...

Justice Breyer Robbed at Machete-Point

Supreme Court judge faces robber in Caribbean home

(Newser) - A machete-wielding intruder robbed Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer at his Caribbean vacation home last week, the AP reports. Breyer, 73, his wife Joanna, and guests were surprised to see the robber in their house on the island of Nevis at about 9pm last Thursday. The robber snatched about $1,...

Stevens' Exit Would Break Court Tradition
Stevens' Exit Would Break Court Tradition
ANALYSIS
Sep 3, 2009 2:11 PM CDT

Stevens' Exit Would Break Court Tradition

Tradition sees justices sticking with party that appointed them

(Newser) - Supreme Court justices have traditionally waited to retire until a member of the same party that nominated them held the presidency, writes Kate Klonick for True/Slant. The custom has prevailed even when the justice’s ideology drifted away from that party. But if the rumors about John Paul Stevens’ imminent...

Souter Trades Farmhouse for the 'Burbs

(Newser) - It’s a charming, rustic home, a colonial-era farmhouse that’s held generations of Souters. Until now. David Souter is trading the dirt road for the cul-de-sac, ditching his family home in favor of a 3,500-foot abode in the posh suburbs, the Concord Monitor reports. The reason? "He...

Roberts Court Takes Narrow Path to the Right
Roberts Court Takes Narrow Path to the Right
ANALYSIS
Jun 30, 2009 6:28 AM CDT

Roberts Court Takes Narrow Path to the Right

Supremes offer more modest rulings, put up barriers to lawsuits

(Newser) - The Supreme Court shifted further to the right in its 2008-09 term, ended yesterday, particularly on issues of civil rights and environmental protection. As USA Today reports, the conservative bloc led by John Roberts used several rulings to set tougher standards for individuals bringing suit, and it offered narrower opinions...

Souter Says Goodbye to Supreme Court

On his final day, a testament to friendship in the face of dissent

(Newser) - David Souter bid farewell to the Supreme Court today, but not before taking a moment to reflect on the rewarding bonds forged between him and his fellow justices, the AP reports. Though he will leave the court, Souter told his colleagues in an open letter that he would not “...

How to Diversify the Court: Pick a WASP
How to Diversify the Court:
Pick a WASP
Analysis
May 26, 2009 6:40 AM CDT

How to Diversify the Court: Pick a WASP

...Or a non-lawyer, or a public school grad, or a Westerner, or...

(Newser) - If you’re looking to diversify the Supreme Court, Robert Barnes of the Washington Post has an idea: Why not pick a WASP? There hasn’t been a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant nominated since David Souter in 1990. The current court boasts five Catholics and two Jews—not exactly representative. Of...

Top Court Candidates Differ Widely on Exec Power

New justice will be key to defining prez limits

(Newser) - Most Supreme Court watchers say that Barack Obama's choice to succeed David Souter will change little, since the retiring justice was a reliable member of the court's liberal bloc. But on critical questions of presidential power, which Souter regularly sought to check, the new justice's vote could...

Obama: Court Pick Will Go Beyond 'Ivory Tower' Smarts

(Newser) - President Obama said today he would be announcing his nominee to the Supreme Court “soon” and hopes to have the new justice confirmed by Congress’ August recess, Bloomberg reports. In a C-SPAN interview, Obama laid out his criteria, which includes not only “ivory tower learning” but also empathy....

Supreme Court Buzz Centers on Wood, Kagan

Both in DC; sources say Obama began interviews with Wood

(Newser) - The Washington rumor mill is focusing on two names as President Obama steps up the search for a Supreme Court nominee,  the Washington Post reports. Federal Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood visited the capital Tuesday, ostensibly to attend a judicial conference, but insiders say she met with the president...

'Baseball Savior' Sotomayor on Justice Shortlist

Federal judge ended strike to save '95 season

(Newser) - Most federal judges live anonymous lives, but for a moment in 1995, Sonia Sotomayor was the toast of the town. That was the year Sotomayor ended baseball’s players strike, saving the ’95 season. The Philadelphia Inquirer declared her a baseball hero on par with DiMaggio, Robinson, Mays, and...

Obama Meets With Senators on Court Choice

Nominee coming 'soon,' should be seated by October, say Dems

(Newser) - President Obama’s choice for the next Supreme Court justice is coming “soon,” said Democratic senators after a meeting with the president. The White House says the appointee won’t be announced this week, but Harry Reid and Patrick Leahy say he or she should be seated by...

High Court Pick's Gender, Race Not an Issue: Poll

Proportion wanting female appointee shrinks from 2005

(Newser) - Americans don’t feel strongly that the next Supreme Court appointee should be a woman, Hispanic, or black, Gallup Poll results suggest: most say it’s a non-issue. Some 64% say it “doesn’t matter” whether the appointee is a woman; 68% say it doesn’t matter whether he...

Supreme Wish List: Pragmatist, Easy to Confirm, 'Home Run'

As Obama vetting begins, 4 women lead

(Newser) - President Obama's choice to replace David Souter on the Supreme Court will be a pragmatist unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom, insiders tell the Washington Post. While Obama will not play it safe, they say, neither does he want a provocative choice that will create another partisan confirmation battle. "He's...

Supreme Court Strategizing Should Include Birth Control

(Newser) - The battle for David Souter’s seat on the Supreme Court will be a pitched fight over Roe v. Wade, Cynthia Tucker writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Here’s a suggestion for a pragmatic president with excellent political instincts and the moral capacity to see the ethical quandaries inherent...

Oh, No! A Single Woman May Replace Souter
Oh, No! A Single Woman May Replace Souter
OPINION
May 6, 2009 9:41 AM CDT

Oh, No! A Single Woman May Replace Souter

Lack of a ring turns top female Supreme Court candidates into targets

(Newser) - David Souter is a lifelong bachelor, but the possibility of a bachelorette replacement has started an uproar. Why? Because those potential Supreme Court justices are women, and when a powerful woman is unmarried it "seems to make everyone think: lonely, misfit, or lesbian," write Dahlia Lithwick and Hanna...

Ginsburg Wants Another Woman at High Court

Justice bemoans her male colleagues' 'lack of understanding'

(Newser) - Among the many people calling on Barack Obama to name a woman to fill his first Supreme Court vacancy, one voice stands out: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the sole female on the nation's highest bench. In a frank interview with USA Today, the justice says that some of her male colleagues...

Sentimental Souter: 'Just Give Them My Love'

(Newser) - Supreme Court Justice David Souter thinks the worth of a jurist is “not in the great moments, but in being part of the great stream,” he said in an emotional farewell today to appeals-court judges. Souter said he didn’t intend that news of his retirement be leaked...

Advocates Call for First Openly Gay Justice

Post would 'break glass ceiling in a huge way'

(Newser) - Gay-rights advocates are calling on President Obama to fill David Souter’s Supreme Court seat with an openly gay person, Politico reports. “It’s not so much we want to check that box at the Supreme Court level, but that achievement would be breaking the glass ceiling in a...

How the Justice Confirmation Game is Played
How the Justice Confirmation Game is Played
Analysis
May 5, 2009 12:20 PM CDT

How the Justice Confirmation Game is Played

Prepare for a spectacle as the 3 branches, special interests collide

(Newser) - The process of replacing David Souter has begun in earnest, so get ready for “Washington at its best (or worst, depending on your perspective),” writes Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post. All three branches of government, and a boatload of special interests and egos, will brawl it out...

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