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Should Supreme Court justices have had experience being a judge at some point?

Should Supreme Court Justices have had experience as judges?

  • Total voters
    64
Yes.

They elected a president with no executive experience, and look what's happened under his regime so far.

And I seem to recall some other president nominated a broad that didn't have any judging experience, and the Leftists went bonkers over her lack of qualifications.

Makes ya wonder what kind of extortionate handle this woman has over the Messiah to get named to the USSC.

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Then again, looking at who appointed her, and no one expects her to actually obey the Constitution, anyway. Hell, the guy that appointed her never read the thing, of if he has, you can't tell by the way he runs his office.
 
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Blackdog said:
You don't think a lawyer practicing law for 20 years has enough experience to be a judge?
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To be THE judge on THE highest court in the land?

No, she doesn't have the experience.

If it was a federal district court, yeah, maybe. But going from community organizer to President in one fell swoop is too extreme a jump and the man isn't qualified to do the bigger job or understand the bigger issues or to put the country ahead of his petty self-interests.

Oh, yeah, and the female judge doesn't have the experience to be doing Supreme court judging, either.
 
We're talking about the Dean of Harvard Law School.

That is good enough for me.
 
Jucon said:
We're talking about the Dean of Harvard Law School.

That is good enough for me.
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You know that those that can't do, teach.
:mrgreen:
 
Goobieman said:
You know that those that can't do, teach.
:mrgreen:
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Bull

Most professors I've had were very knowledgeable in their field and could have been successful even if not a professor. There's always a need for good teachers and some feel the need to share their knowledge.
 
Goobieman said:
You know that those that can't do, teach.
:mrgreen:
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I can see the employment advertisement now.

"Wanted 2nd rate ambulance chaser for exciting academic career.

Please send resume to Harvard Law School"
 
Chief Justices

John Jay..............................Governor
John Rutledge......................Governor
Oliver Ellsworth....................Senator
John Marshall.......................Secretary of State
Roger Taney.........................Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Attorney General
Salmon Chase......................Secretary of the Treasury, Governor
Morrison Waite.....................Lawyer
Melville Fuller.......................Representative
Edward White.......................Lawyer
William Howard Taft..............U.S. President
Charles Hughes....................Secretary of State
Harlan Stone........................Attorney General
Fred Vinson..........................Secretary of the Treasury
Earl Warren..........................Governor


Associate Justices

William Cushing...................Member, Continental Congress
James Wilson......................Member, Continental Congress
William Paterson..................Governor
Samuel Chase.....................Member, Maryland General Assembly; Continental Congress
Bushrod Washington............Lawyer
William Johnson..................Representative, S.C. House
Henry B. Livingston.............Military
Gabriel Duvall.....................Representative
Joseph Story.......................Representative
Smith Thompson.................Secretary of the Navy
John McLean.......................Unknown
Henry Baldwin....................Representative
James M. Wayne.................Mayor, Representative
Philip P. Barbour..................Representative
John McKinley.....................Senator, Representative
Levi Woodbury....................Governor, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of the Navy
Benjamin Curtis..................Lawyer
John Campbell....................Lawyer
Nathan Clifford....................Attorney General
Noah Swayne......................Member, Ohio Legislature, U.S. Attorney
Samuel Miller......................Lawyer
David Davis........................Senator
Joseph Bradley....................Lawyer
John M. Harlan (I)...............Kentucky Attorney General
Stanley Matthews................U.S. Attorney, Military
Horace Gray........................Lawyer
Lucius Lamar.......................Member, Georgia House, Secretary of the Interior
George Shiras, Jr.................Lawyer
Howell Jackson....................Member, Tennessee House
Edward D. White..................Lawyer
William Henry Moody............Attorney General
Mahlon Pitney.....................Congress (office unspecified)
James McReynolds...............Attorney General
Louis Brandeis.....................Lawyer
George Sutherland...............Congress (office unspecified)
Pierce Butler.......................Lawyer
Edward Sanford...................Attorney General
Owen Roberts......................Assistant District Attorney
Hugo L. Black......................Senator
Stanley Forman Reed...........Solicitor General
Felix Frankfurter..................Lawyer
William O. Douglas...............Law Professor, Chairman of SEC
Frank Murphy......................Mayor, Governor, Attorney General
James Francis Byrnes...........Secretary of State
Robert H. Jackson................Attorney General
Harold Hitz Burton................Senator
Tom Clark...........................Attorney General
John M. Harlan (II)..............Lawyer
Arthur J. Goldberg...............Secretary of Labor
Abe Fortas..........................President and Chairman of the SEC
Thurgood Marshall...............Lawyer
Lewis F. Powell....................Lawyer

Let's see, two of the most influential legal minds of the 20th century were not judges before being appointed to the court.

Hmmmm.... I guess we can flush that GOP talking point down the toilet.
 
There is nothing in the constitution that forbids even nominating a ham sandwich for a supreme court justice.:roll:
 
LiberalAvenger said:
There is nothing in the constitution that forbids even nominating a ham sandwich for a supreme court justice.:roll:
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14th Amendment, one must be born in the US to have Constitutional rights.

Ham sandwiches are not born but rather are made.
 
Two important elements to "experience" when someone is being considered for a job. First one is the value it would/will provide the candidate if they are selected.

But the second element is that it gives the employer something to base a decision on as to whether the candidate is qualified. If the person being reviewed has no practical experience in the job catagory they being considered for, makes it a little dicey to conclude they are the "best choice".

As far as i know Kagan has zero experience as a Judge, Zero experience as a Prosecutor. Zero experience as a Trial Attorney. :doh

She does have one year's experience as Solicitor General. Which is nice. But that really isn't enough.


.
 
Cole said:
As far as i know Kagan has zero experience as a Judge, Zero experience as a Prosecutor. Zero experience as a Trial Attorney. :doh
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I far as I know... All GOP talking points should be preceded by 'as far as I know...'
 
LiberalAvenger said:
Then should Arnold Schwarzenegger be thrown out of office?:roll:
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He is a naturalized citizen as per the 14th. BTW he can not run for Prez but as far as I know he could be SCOZTUS Justice.
 
We've seen people appointed judges to smaller courts who have no courtroom experience at all. I've argued in front of a few who have no idea what the rules of evidence are. And while they're on the bench, they don't ever seem to learn, because they really don't have to.

So experience on the bench, while desirable, is not a guarantee that a person will be a good Supreme Court judge.

The Supreme Court, after all, deals with more detailed stuff. It helps to have someone who has actually argued before the Supreme Court (like Kagan), clerked in the Supreme Court (like Kagan) and who has written briefs and knows the Constitution because it was her job to do so.

So while I agree that judicial experience is nice, it certainly isn't required. 33% of all Supreme Court judges were never on another court before, so this is nothing unusual.
 
Jucon said:
Bull
Most professors I've had were very knowledgeable in their field and could have been successful even if not a professor. There's always a need for good teachers and some feel the need to share their knowledge.
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It was a joke, dude. My wife is professor of mathematics at OSU - I am well aware of the capabilities of (most of) those that teach.
 
winston53660 said:
He is a naturalized citizen as per the 14th. BTW he can not run for Prez but as far as I know he could be SCOZTUS Justice.
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I am only going by what you said: "14th Amendment, one must be born in the US to have Constitutional rights." Born in the US
 
hazlnut said:
Hmmmm.... I guess we can flush that GOP talking point down the toilet.
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That might be true if you can show how past precedent equates to actual qualification and negates any argument regarding the lack of same.
 
hazlnut said:
I far as I know... All GOP talking points should be preceded by 'as far as I know...'
Click to expand...

Well I'm just here for the education. If you know differently you need to share. ;)


.
 
hazlnut said:
Chief Justices

John Jay..............................Governor
John Rutledge......................Governor
Oliver Ellsworth....................Senator
John Marshall.......................Secretary of State
Roger Taney.........................Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Attorney General
Salmon Chase......................Secretary of the Treasury, Governor
Morrison Waite.....................Lawyer
Melville Fuller.......................Representative
Edward White.......................Lawyer
William Howard Taft..............U.S. President
Charles Hughes....................Secretary of State
Harlan Stone........................Attorney General
Fred Vinson..........................Secretary of the Treasury
Earl Warren..........................Governor


Associate Justices

William Cushing...................Member, Continental Congress
James Wilson......................Member, Continental Congress
William Paterson..................Governor
Samuel Chase.....................Member, Maryland General Assembly; Continental Congress
Bushrod Washington............Lawyer
William Johnson..................Representative, S.C. House
Henry B. Livingston.............Military
Gabriel Duvall.....................Representative
Joseph Story.......................Representative
Smith Thompson.................Secretary of the Navy
John McLean.......................Unknown
Henry Baldwin....................Representative
James M. Wayne.................Mayor, Representative
Philip P. Barbour..................Representative
John McKinley.....................Senator, Representative
Levi Woodbury....................Governor, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of the Navy
Benjamin Curtis..................Lawyer
John Campbell....................Lawyer
Nathan Clifford....................Attorney General
Noah Swayne......................Member, Ohio Legislature, U.S. Attorney
Samuel Miller......................Lawyer
David Davis........................Senator
Joseph Bradley....................Lawyer
John M. Harlan (I)...............Kentucky Attorney General
Stanley Matthews................U.S. Attorney, Military
Horace Gray........................Lawyer
Lucius Lamar.......................Member, Georgia House, Secretary of the Interior
George Shiras, Jr.................Lawyer
Howell Jackson....................Member, Tennessee House
Edward D. White..................Lawyer
William Henry Moody............Attorney General
Mahlon Pitney.....................Congress (office unspecified)
James McReynolds...............Attorney General
Louis Brandeis.....................Lawyer
George Sutherland...............Congress (office unspecified)
Pierce Butler.......................Lawyer
Edward Sanford...................Attorney General
Owen Roberts......................Assistant District Attorney
Hugo L. Black......................Senator
Stanley Forman Reed...........Solicitor General
Felix Frankfurter..................Lawyer
William O. Douglas...............Law Professor, Chairman of SEC
Frank Murphy......................Mayor, Governor, Attorney General
James Francis Byrnes...........Secretary of State
Robert H. Jackson................Attorney General
Harold Hitz Burton................Senator
Tom Clark...........................Attorney General
John M. Harlan (II)..............Lawyer
Arthur J. Goldberg...............Secretary of Labor
Abe Fortas..........................President and Chairman of the SEC
Thurgood Marshall...............Lawyer
Lewis F. Powell....................Lawyer

Let's see, two of the most influential legal minds of the 20th century were not judges before being appointed to the court.

Hmmmm.... I guess we can flush that GOP talking point down the toilet.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that list. A lot of the Supreme Court's most important justices - both liberals and conservatives - are on it.

I don't think there's any evidence that would suggest that former judges make better Supreme Court justices than non-judges...which makes it rather silly to attack her experience IMO.
 
Goobieman said:
That might be true if you can show how past precedent equates to actual qualification and negates any argument regarding the lack of same.
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When you criticize Kagan's lack of experience, I assume that you're implying that her lack of judicial experience means that she won't be as good of a judge as someone with more experience. Is that a fair assumption for me to make?

If so, then the list provides some evidence to the contrary. All you need to do is look at that list to see plenty of very influential people (across the political spectrum) who weren't previously judges. On what are you basing your belief that those without previous judicial experience make inferior Supreme Court justices?
 
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Groucho said:
Ah. You must be reading the biazrro world version of the 14th amendment, because mine says no such thing.
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Sheesh get a sense of humor guys:

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

A ham sandwich as mentioned in the post I was responding to does not fullfill the above criteria. Hence a ham sandwich could never be appointed to the SCOTUS.
 
winston53660 said:
Sheesh get a sense of humor guys:

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

A ham sandwich as mentioned in the post I was responding to does not fullfill the above criteria. Hence a ham sandwich could never be appointed to the SCOTUS.
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I understand and agree. My post was in response to this:

Originally Posted by winston53660
14th Amendment, one must be born in the US to have Constitutional rights.

This is blatantly false.
 
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