Greetings. I am a voting constituent in rural west Texas.
I am writing today to encourage my elected reps in Congress to vote for S.325, a bill that would establish a new statutory requirement for the Judicial Conference of the United States to issue a judicial code of conduct for judges and justices of U.S. courts, including Justices of the Supreme Court.
It’s apparent in today’s world that certain things absolutely do need legislation to prevent a corruption of actions in a job with a lifetime tenure.
Citizens should be able to have confidence in the SCOTUS, that their judgement will be impartial and based on our laws as written. Recently it seems that Justices no longer care about having and sustaining an air of impartiality. There is a pervasive sense of immunity to any remedy for, or consequence of, actions.
If the Chief Justice is unable or unwilling to help reestablish trust in our highest court, than we the people, through our elected officials, need to do that for him.
We don’t need to be subjected to word parsing about what and what does not constitute undue influence in terms of lavish perks.
We don’t need to hear words of limp justification for actions that on their face are apparent and indisputable rebellions to our systems of governance. A system in which these Justices are privileged to hold a place of high honor.
Regardless of their own personal opinions on any particular matter, high or low, they should retain a public persona of judicial impartiality. And what we have been seeing, hearing, and reading for the last few years about several of the justices is anything but.
If the persistent and concerted efforts to sow distrust in our system of justice results in the widespread distrust of SCOTUS as well, then it seems the job is done. A pillar of America is toppled, suspect, not to be trusted, and as partisan as any politician.
But the worst thing is, some of these efforts are emanating from the Court itself. And that is a powerful and damaging perception that sows chaos in a system that needs calm and steady and trustworthy deliberation. A system that is supposed to work for the country and its citizens. All citizens.
Please use your power to set an example for the rest of us.
