Thursday, June 27, 2019

Conservative Justices Deliver Blow to Democracy

The Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision along ideological lines ruled that federal courts cannot review partisan gerrymandering cases, no matter how egregiously unfair.  The majority concluded that there were no neutral legal standards with which to judge a political question beyond a federal court's subject matter jurisdiction.  Justice Kagan delivered a dissent from the bench in the case of Rucho v. Common Cause, No. 18-422, saying that “The practices challenged in these cases imperil our system of government....Part of the court’s role in that system is to defend its foundations. None is more important than free and fair elections.”  Chief Justice Roberts admitted in his majority opinion. “The redistricting plans at issue here are highly partisan, by any measure.”

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller will testify publicly on July 17th.  Trump's response: "No collusion!"