I really think the Supreme Court is an idea that needs reforming. I’m not talking about politics, here. Sure, I loathe how conservative (and in two cases, how utterly insane) some of the Justices are, but that’s not my point. My point is that the Supreme Court is basically treated like royalty.
Talk all you want about how the executive branch has become way too powerful—hell, I’ll agree with you on most counts—but I think the judicial branch was given way too much power to begin with. They’re appointed for life. Once they get past the appointment process, they get to do their jobs without the accountability that other branches of government have to endure. The fact that the American public can’t watch live video of cases as they’re being made is maddening to me. And this is a petty issue, but I’m always so annoyed with how the rulings are delivered over a few weeks, like kingly decrees, with the most popular issues saved for last to ensure that everyone’s attention is focused on the Court for the maximum amount of time. I understand the importance of patience and consideration in the judicial process, but the Supreme Court is weighed down with anachronism and ceremony, and could use major reform.
Yes having the 24 hour news cycle who is well known for not at all misrepresenting things with creative editing covering the Supreme Court is a great fucking idea.
HOW DOES THAT EVER GO WRONG
Yes. I completely agree. For as long as I can remember, the court has substituted real accountability with some vague notion of prestige. I once believed that the justice’s deep respect for their position was enough to keep them from delivering truly oddball decisions, but not anymore. The lifetime appointment thing is what has been the most troubling to me lately seeing as there are no solid checks on an individual’s senility. Some of Scalia’s recent writings seem to emanate less from legal precedent or the constitution and more from the vaulted dungeons of a Dan Brown novel.