| http://images.usatoday.com/news/_photos/2004/01/01-mug-rehquiist.jpg May he rest in peace. He was the Lone Ranger during the Warren Court and then got appointed Chief Justice almost 20 years ago. This guy should have retired decades ago. Instead he completely changed the Nation's legal landscape with his own brand of Judicial activism, one that was more conservative than the Berger Court. Under Rehnquist, he elevated these decrepit men and women more powerful than the President or Congress. Under his iron hand, he even selected our president. History books will NEVER forget him turning his back on the little people. He even almost considered overturning Miranda warnings, as tried by Nixon and Congress but backed down in the Dickerson Decision by a 7 - 2 majority: "Congress may not legislatively supersede our decisions interpreting and applying the Constitution." Rehnquist's rolled back times:
1. Expanded the Court's own claims of broad power to set national policy.
2. Curbed congressional regulation of the states and of noncommercial intrastate matters
3. Reduced First Amendment claims and defenses
4. Decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election.
Many legal scholars accused the majority of five justices (Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, O'Connor, and Kennedy) of cynically abandoning their usual deference to state courts because they wanted to make Bush president. Critics hinted that all nine justices might have voted differently had it been Bush who was seeking more recounts. Rehnquist didn't lead a decision that was politically neutral, nor absent the ballot counts. Instead produced the controversial "results- oriented" decision, the only "unsigned majority opinion" that mystified this nation.
http://nationaljournal.com/img/njcovers/2005/cov0520.jpg Under Rehnquist as Chief Justice, his court will be known as "The Lazy Court" in doing less. He slashed number of cases which the Supreme Court will accept for ruling, cutting it down almost 50% (147 in mid 80s to this decade 73 in 2003 to 2004.) Rehnquist's court seems to be more about their elitist own rights than caring about the people's rights. Some justices seem to have plenty of time for extracurricular activities such as speeches, overseas conferences, and writing books. The justices meet only about 53 days a year for public sessions and another 27 days for private conferences, while taking a three-month summer recess and about seven weeks of winter recesses. And during the winter recesses, they work on opinions, with clerks writing almost all of the first drafts. 1. Rehnquist who authored four books, for example, reportedly spends less than eight hours a day at the Court and leaves before 4 p.m. most days -- but is said to take work home. (His wife, Nan, died in 1991.)
2. Stevens used to spend less time at the Court than at his home in Florida -- but worked from there.
3. O'Connor has co-authored one and authored another since 2001 (not to mention her forthcoming children's book),
4. Thomas is working on a memoir for a guaranteed $1.5 million from HarperCollins.
* source: http://nationaljournal.com/about/nj...005/0520nj1.htm | |
