An outraged legislator, Representative Mike Christian, said he would seek to impeach the justices, who were already under fire from conservative legislators for striking down laws the court deemed unconstitutional.
A constitutional crisis appeared to be brewing. But last Wednesday, the Supreme Court announced a decision on the secrecy issue — overturning the lower court and declaring that the executions could proceed. ...NYT,4/30/14
Two retired state Supreme Court justices are going after the politicization of the justice system in which, let’s face it, the far right has been pressuring courts to make the “right” decision.
In a Washington Post op-ed, Ruth McGregor (Arizona) and Randall Shepherd (Indiana) reveal the extent to which courts’ decisions are being challenged state by state — and changed — by pressure from the Republican fringe.
Take the vengeful, painful killing of Clayton Lockett in Oklahoma.
The chaos surrounding the execution of convicted murderer Clayton Lockett was not just a wake-up call on capital punishment and how it is administered. The final hours also saw political efforts to bully and weaken Oklahoma’s courts. Similar battles are playing out around the country, threatening the ability of our courts to be fair and impartial.
When Lockett’s attorneys filed a lawsuit seeking information about the drug mixture that ultimately failed, the Oklahoma Supreme Court issued a stay to grant more time for review. But the governor announced that she would disregard the court’s ruling. A legislator introduced a resolution to impeach the five justices who had voted for the stay, alleging “a willful neglect of duty and incompetence.” The Supreme Court ultimately dissolved its stay and allowed Lockett’s execution to proceed. …WaPo
I’d call that not only the kind of corruption (and arrogant bitchery) on the right that we’re expected to put up with, but personal weakness in those who are elected or appointed to do honorable jobs. We’re talking about five justices who caved to keep their places on the bench. Not a thread of decency or honor — or respect for the law — to be found in either the right wing legislators or Oklahoma’s weakened system of justice.
It’s not just about Oklahoma; it spreads right across the country. McGregor and Shepherd go on to cite other legislators and judges in other states that have betrayed their trust. Money, of course, is part of the corruption formula.
Interest groups spent more than $1.3 million in a North Carolina primary this month involving a single Supreme Court seat. In Tennessee, because the Supreme Court selects the state’s attorney general, a multi-million dollar effort is being discussed to unseat three justices. These kinds of big-money judicial elections threaten to turn judges into politicians in black robes. …WaPo