The year could not get any more complex than it has been, but sadly, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. Her death opened a seat on the Supreme Court that is now in the process of being filled. As with all other nominations, politicians are making the rounds on media with both positives and negatives about the process and Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Who is Judge Amy Coney Barrett?
- She is a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
- She was an Associate at Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin in Washington, D.C.
She clerked for:
- Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
- Associate Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court
American Law Institute member
Scholarship publications:
- Notre Dame Law School’s faculty
- Visiting associate professor and John M. Olin Fellow in Law at the George Washington University Law School
- Visiting associate professor of law at the University of Virginia
- Notre Dame Law School (summa cum laude)
- Hoynes Prize (Law School highest award) and Kiley Fellow
- Executive editor of the Notre Dame Law Review
- Rhodes College, B.A. in English literature (magna cum laude)
If approved, she will be the first non-Ivy League Justice, which will open the nomination process to all women in the United States who work hard to become successful. Thank you, President Trump.
Judicial Record
It is tough to predict from Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s answers during the hearing how she will determine future cases, as it should be. However, she is an originalist, and her past indicates that she is more conservative than Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Her personal opinions
I do not know; I am not interested. I only need to know how she will attempt to interpret the Constitution. After watching the hearings, her blank tablet, her calm and confident manner, and her respectfulness and hearing her constantly say, “If that question ever came before me, I would need to hear arguments from the litigants and read briefs and consult with my law clerks and talk to my colleagues and go through the opinion-writing process,” I did not have to dig deep to know her ethics. Do I agree with all her personal beliefs that were brought up by senators’ questions? No.
I cannot entirely agree with anyone’s personal beliefs. I have my own.
Do personal opinions influence a person’s behavior and attitudes?
Yes, that is why only a few people in America should be sitting on the Supreme Court. Today, Americans do not have a fair system in the highest court in the land because of American politicians. Therefore, Americans must hope that the politically nominated and placed justices will control their personal biases, politics, and indebtedness to the political party that placed them on the court.
Do I expect Judge Amy Coney Barrett as a justice to make the decisions I feel are necessary? No. However, from the hearing, she may think before deciding. With the other women on the court, I know that they will never consider any other opinions or beliefs or interpret the Constitution outside of their current beliefs. I am hoping, in the future, they prove me wrong.
Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted for Justice Sonia Sotomayor, 13–6. The full Senate confirmed her with a 68–31 vote. Her decisions have aligned with the Democratic party, which primarily placed her on the court.
Justice Elena Kagan
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted for Justice Elena Kagan, 13–6. The full Senate confirmed her with a 63–37 vote. Her decisions have aligned with the Democratic party, which primarily placed her on the court.
The Supreme Court & Politics
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s first assembly was in 1790. The Constitution requires presidents to submit nominations for the Court to the Senate for approval, and presidents have submitted 164 nominations. President Trump is allowed to submit nominations and request approval from the Senate.
Politics
The influence on Supreme Court justice selection and approval by individuals, corporations, political groups, and lobbyists used to be folklore, but research indicates otherwise, and American politicians votes and comments. I am not saying that the justices accept anything or have conversations with anyone. Presidents and senators constantly have others trying to influence their decisions on many topics. These topics create court cases that may end up at the Supreme Court.
As a lobbyist, I was completely against term limits, and I know many people are against term limits, and I was one of the leaders, because why? As a lobbyist, once you buy a congressional office, you don’t have to re-buy that office in six years.
–Jack Abramoff
The Senate Judiciary Committee & Full Senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee vote took place on October 22, 2020, with the Republicans only; the Democrats boycotted the vote. The process allowed Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to move forward for a full Senate vote. The Senate vote will occur on Monday, October 26, 2020. Republican Senators are expected to vote Yea, and Democrat Senators are expected to vote Nay, which will place Judge Amy Coney Barrett in the land’s highest court.
The Media Drama
Democrats will give speeches with radical opinions, use harsh words, and describe a disaster to create fear within America for the 2020 vote. The common words that politicians and their direct supporters use indicate Americans vote for politicians representing their beliefs are BS. Most Americans have no idea who has or who continues to represent their interests. If Americans took the time to understand how the political world controlled their lives, the country would not be more than $182 trillion in debt, a debt that now could control even the most ethical politicians.
Trust me, it will be one of the best theatrical events of 2020 for their audiences. Do not worry; both political parties use Roe v. Wade and any other issue to create an emotional reaction among uninformed American voters. They have used the same playbook against the nominations of Justices Sandra Day O’Connor (conservative), John Roberts (conservative), and David Souter (liberal).
The fight is not about Judge Amy Coney Barrett; the fight is over the ages of current justices and the 2020 election.
Whenever you put a man on the Supreme Court, he ceases to be your friend.
–Harry S Truman
Election Wins vs. Americans
Listening and watching U.S. senators deal with a Supreme Court nomination is always interesting. I have watched more nomination hearings than most Americans; I cannot justify American politicians’ current and past actions to stack the Supreme Court.
The nominations, Senate hearings, and voting practices are now 100% political, and only Americans can change the process. I do not expect Americans to do so in my lifetime, but politicians, I fear, will change the Supreme Court into something that is a financial benefit for them and their families.
