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Volume 41, Issue 1
March 11, 2003
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March 11, 2003
Legend's
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Left turn needed
They banned the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the use of marijuana for
medicinal reasons, upheld every woman’s right to choose and abolished
the 2nd Amendment; the right to keep and bear arms.
For liberals in America, the San Francisco based 9th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals is a beacon of hope.
A sign with flashing neon lights that reads “You Have Rights!
And the conservatives cannot take them away.”
This is about to change . . .
The 9th Circuit Court is larger than any other district court in the country
with 28 judgeship.
Its domain encompasses states like California, Arizona, Alaska, Oregon,
amongst others.
The 9th Circuit is not afraid to take a stand against every other court
in the nation, with more times than not proving to be ineffective.
The notoriously conservative Supreme Court is fond of overturning decisions
of the 9th, reversing more than 75 percent of appeals made to the Supreme
Court.
Human rights, women’s rights, gun control, and many progressive issues
ally with the 9th Circuit.
But that’s all about to change . . .
Bush has decided that the 9th Circuit Court is far too large with a case
load too hefty.
And while this is partially true, the proposed plan to alleviate the strain
is a way for conservatives to seize control of this notoriously open-minded
court.
Bush’s plan is to split the district into two or three districts.
The split would break the liberal bench and new judges would be needed
to fill the gaps.
The president has already begun making out his shopping list for possible
candidates.
Among his picks is the “ethically rigorous” Miguel Estrada,
a lawyer who lists the president himself as a client.
Other selections include a member of the conservative Federalist Society
and nominees named first by Bush senior to other judicial positions or
rejected by the democratic Congress.
Three women and three minorities were also nominated to “soften the
blow” as many are suggesting.
Disguising his agenda with women and minorities does not detour us from
the fact that Bush wants to minimize the roles left in America.
The country is in the less-than-capable hands of a Republican president,
a Republican Congress, and a Republican House of Representatives.
The 9th Circuit is the only thing left to battle these champions of the
status quo.
When Bush and his cronies are done, the nation will have lopsided politics.
Everything will be controlled by one party.
This court is one of the last battlegrounds where the liberals have the
home team advantage.
The states blanketed by the 9th Circuit are often known as democrat strongholds.
To place a non-liberal court, to oversee all things, legal would be unfair.
Rulings are to be given by peers and members of the community.
That is why courts in different areas have different laws and different
procedures.
Ethics vary regionally.
Laws reflect that.
The courts should as well.
It is one of the principles behind American justice.
It is one principle that is easily dispelled according to the administration
currently in power.
It is not enough that the Supreme Court appears to almost take pleasure
in reversing the decisions of the 9th Circuit judges.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has become a symbol for optimism
in the face of overwhelming opposition.
They pass their verdicts in hopes of maintaining order for the greater
good while still upholding the rights of the individual.
These verdicts get shot down upon appeal to the Supreme Court.
But, for a brief moment, people in the 9th district were able to see that
someone in power is standing up for them.
Splitting the court may help with the “caseload,” but breaking
up the bench to open another realm where the right-wingers can nest is
a disaster for every one, not just the district in question.
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