Talk Left: Is Justice Stevens Retiring?

[Joanne98]

The AP reports Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, age 89, has only hired one law clerk for the next term, prompting speculation he is retiring.

Usually by now, justices have hired four clerks. Retired justices are alloted one clerk.

In response to a question from The Associated Press, Stevens confirmed through a court spokeswoman Tuesday that he has hired only one clerk for the term that begins in October 2010. He is among several justices who typically have hired all four clerks for the following year by now. Information about this advance hiring is not released by the court but is regularly published by some legal blogs.

Stevens did not say whether he plans to hire his full allotment of clerks or whether he will leave the court at the conclusion of the term that begins next month. Retired justices are allowed to hire one clerk.

While some say the hiring of law clerks is not a sure-measure gauge of future plans, others say in this instance, it could be significant

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2009/9/2/125953/4490

[DefenseLawyer]

1. If he replaces Stevens with another center-right conservative

like Sotomayor, we are in trouble.

[scheming daemons]

2. LOL.... calling Sotomayor a "center-right conservative" ....

...you need to change your medication, pal.

[DefenseLawyer]

5. Read her opinions, "pal".

I'm guessing you haven't.

[Taverner]

9. I have and she is no conservative

Centrist? Yeah

Thinking that Corporations might just have equal protection under the law is hardly an indicator of Conservatism

[DefenseLawyer]

12. When on a panel with Republican appointed judges in criminal cases

she voted with the Republican judges 97% of the time. 97%. She has almost without exception side with the government or the corporation over the individual as an appeals court judge. She is welcome to prove me wrong, but she has a conservative voting record whether you think so or not.

[Taverner]

13. Pick out a few cases then - sometimes the conservatives are right you know

On guns for instance, we got it wrong

[DefenseLawyer]

15. So let me get this straight.

She voted with the conservatives, but she's not a conservative, but even if she IS a conservative, that's okay because the conservatives are right anyway. Gotcha.

[Taverner]

17. On which issues is my question

I really don't mind if someone votes with the Conservatives 100% of the time if the cases are simple ones that both sides agree on ( you know, like punishment for robbery, etc.)

"Voting with Conservatives" is a canard the Naders and Sheehans of the world push to divide our party

Don't buy the Code Pink lies

[DefenseLawyer]

19. You forgot to mention ACORN

Code Pink? What the hell does Code Pink have to do with this topic? Her conservative voting record is not a "canard", it is fact. It is the only way to predict with any certainty how she may vote on the Court. It would appear that the only reason you don't want to acknowledge that she is center right is because you don't want to acknowledge that you are center right. Code Pink, indeed.

[brentspeak]

14. Thinking that corporations have equal protection under the law is the DEFINITION of conservatism

It doesn't get more status quo than that.

[Taverner]

16. Um, by law they have the same rights as individuals

I don't like it and you don't like it, but that's LAW

So if you are upholding the law (as she was) you must agree or change the law

[brentspeak]

20. "Um", if she wasn't a corporate judge, she would have ruled that the law was unconsitutional

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/personhood/

[scheming daemons]

11. I'm familiar with her judicial record... at worst, it is center-left... but it is mostly just left

She's to the left of 80% of the population of this country.


To think of her as "center-right", you have to be to the left of Castro.

[Taverner]

18. Code Pink doesn't approve, so by this posters logic we're GOP if we approve of her

[WI_DEM]

4. She is not center right.

[Taverner]

10. Exactly. She may be Centrist, but not Centrist Right

[Joe the Liberal]

6. Agreed. n/t

[Taverner]

7. Um Sotomayor is not a "Center Right Conservative"

If anything a Left Leaning Centrist

But then again, she's made some pretty good decisions in our favor, so maybe a Center leaning Leftist

[Horse with no Name]

8. Yep.

Make no mistake, Sotomayor was probably the best we could get--but we NEED another Ginsburg.

[WI_DEM]

3. I actually hope so, at his age he should while dems have a big edge in the senate

because after 2010 I'm not so sure if dems will control the senate or if they do it will be greatly reduced.