Sotomayor

[Panama pfRedd]

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor rebuffs Democrats' calls for her to retire

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is rejecting Democrats’ calls to retire as soon as possible so President Biden can nominate a replacement before he leaves office in January.

The thinking on the left is that her replacement could be confirmed by the Democrat-run Senate during the lame-duck session before Republicans take control of the chamber and President-elect Donald Trump moves into the White House.

Justice Sotomayor, 70, is the oldest of the three Democratic-appointed justices and may have to be replaced during Mr. Trump’s four-year term.

“She’s in great health, and the court needs her now more than ever,” a person close to Justice Sotomayor told CNN.

Another person told The Wall Street Journal that Justice Sotomayor “takes better care of herself than anyone I know.”

“This is no time to lose her important voice on the court,” that person said.

An unnamed Democratic senator confirmed to Politico last week that there has been talk about a potential retirement and replacement for Justice Sotomayor.

Democrats control the White House and the Senate until early January, when a new Congress takes over, which puts the timeline for a potential retirement and replacement in a tight window.

Justice Sotomayor was appointed by President Obama in 2009. She’s been on the court for 15 years. She is the most senior Democratic appointee on the high court, followed by Justice Elena Kagan, who was also nominated by Mr. Obama, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was nominated by Mr. Biden in 2022.

Democrats are still sour about the decision of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg not to retire during a Democratic administration. She died in 2020, enabling Mr. Trump to appoint a justice — conservative Amy Coney Barrett — to a seat Ginsburg held for nearly three decades.

Some Democrats want to avoid a repeat of that result.

[ETGator1]

This is pure baloney. The dems may as well add 3 more to the court between now and January. There simply isn't enough time for this ridiculousness.

An underling of Kamala Harris wants Biden to resign so she can become the first woman president. After being part of the democratic party coup, Biden has been zero help to Harris, so he certainly won't be stepping aside for her. Also, there is still the matter of issuing pardons for Hunter and everyone the Biden Crime Family including himself as Mr. Big on the money receiving list before he leaves office in January. Biden won't leave this to Harris or Trump.

[Walter]

Nov 11, 2024 14:09:27 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

This is pure baloney. The dems may as well add 3 more to the court between now and January. There simply isn't enough time for this ridiculousness.

An underling of Kamala Harris wants Biden to resign so she can become the first woman president. After being part of the democratic party coup, Biden has been zero help to Harris, so he certainly won't be stepping aside for her. Also, there is still the matter of issuing pardons for Hunter and everyone the Biden Crime Family including himself as Mr. Big on the money receiving list before he leaves office in January. Biden won't leave this to Harris or Trump.

Should ANY POTUS ever pardon himself?

[ETGator1]

Nov 11, 2024 14:25:50 GMT -5 Walter said:

Nov 11, 2024 14:09:27 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

This is pure baloney. The dems may as well add 3 more to the court between now and January. There simply isn't enough time for this ridiculousness.

An underling of Kamala Harris wants Biden to resign so she can become the first woman president. After being part of the democratic party coup, Biden has been zero help to Harris, so he certainly won't be stepping aside for her. Also, there is still the matter of issuing pardons for Hunter and everyone the Biden Crime Family including himself as Mr. Big on the money receiving list before he leaves office in January. Biden won't leave this to Harris or Trump.

Should ANY POTUS ever pardon himself?

It'll be a first, but, yes, the president has the power to pardon anyone including himself:

www.scotusblog.com/2021/01/the-supreme-court-and-the-presidents-pardon-power/ 

The lone exception is for a president to avoid impeachment. 

Trump doesn't have the time or inclination to go after Biden just like he didn't go after Clinton in 2017 for the good of the country, but Biden can't leave pardons to chance. Trump and Biden are meeting in the WH on Wednesday. I wouldn't be surprised to look back someday and find out it was a discussion item in the meeting. Although, this is not the kind of information that easily comes out. We waited 50 years to get information on the Kennedy assassination.   

[Walter]

Nov 11, 2024 15:09:29 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

Nov 11, 2024 14:25:50 GMT -5 Walter said:

Should ANY POTUS ever pardon himself?

It'll be a first, but, yes, the president has the power to pardon anyone including himself:

www.scotusblog.com/2021/01/the-supreme-court-and-the-presidents-pardon-power/ 

The lone exception is for a president to avoid impeachment. 

Trump doesn't have the time or inclination to go after Biden just like he didn't go after Clinton in 2017 for the good of the country, but Biden can't leave pardons to chance. Trump and Biden are meeting in the WH on Wednesday. I wouldn't be surprised to look back someday and find out it was a discussion item in the meeting. Although, this is not the kind of information that easily comes out. We waited 50 years to get information on the Kennedy assassination.   

I didn't ask if a POTUS had the power. That's never been tested at SCOTUS.
I asked SHOULD a POTUS pardon himself? Would you be okay with it regardless of how heinous the crime might be?
IOW, is a POTUS totally above the law?

[daleko]

Nov 11, 2024 14:25:50 GMT -5 Walter said:

Nov 11, 2024 14:09:27 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

This is pure baloney. The dems may as well add 3 more to the court between now and January. There simply isn't enough time for this ridiculousness.

An underling of Kamala Harris wants Biden to resign so she can become the first woman president. After being part of the democratic party coup, Biden has been zero help to Harris, so he certainly won't be stepping aside for her. Also, there is still the matter of issuing pardons for Hunter and everyone the Biden Crime Family including himself as Mr. Big on the money receiving list before he leaves office in January. Biden won't leave this to Harris or Trump.

Should ANY POTUS ever pardon himself?

I noticed you typed should rather than can. The can part is, most believe, unknown and untested. Should? Let me know when they decide he can. 

[dilligaf]

Nov 11, 2024 16:26:30 GMT -5 Walter said:

Nov 11, 2024 15:09:29 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

It'll be a first, but, yes, the president has the power to pardon anyone including himself:

www.scotusblog.com/2021/01/the-supreme-court-and-the-presidents-pardon-power/ 

The lone exception is for a president to avoid impeachment. 

Trump doesn't have the time or inclination to go after Biden just like he didn't go after Clinton in 2017 for the good of the country, but Biden can't leave pardons to chance. Trump and Biden are meeting in the WH on Wednesday. I wouldn't be surprised to look back someday and find out it was a discussion item in the meeting. Although, this is not the kind of information that easily comes out. We waited 50 years to get information on the Kennedy assassination.   

I didn't ask if a POTUS had the power. That's never been tested at SCOTUS.
I asked SHOULD a POTUS pardon himself? Would you be okay with it regardless of how heinous the crime might be?
IOW, is a POTUS totally above the law?

No one is totally above the law.
That's why we have impeachment protocol for a POTUS who goes too far.

Now .............  did a POTUS commit a REAL crime, or was it a crime manufactured by his political opponents' lawfare?
Additionally, the POTUS has power to pardon only FEDERAL crimes.

[Walter]

Nov 11, 2024 16:28:02 GMT -5 daleko said:

Nov 11, 2024 14:25:50 GMT -5 Walter said:

Should ANY POTUS ever pardon himself?

I noticed you typed should rather than can. The can part is, most believe, unknown and untested. Should? Let me know when they decide he can. 

As a thought experiment, the Q remains, regardless of whether or not SCOTUS says it is legal.
Should a POTUS be allowed to pardon himself for crimes, ANY CRIMES, he may commit?

[Walter]

Nov 11, 2024 16:36:03 GMT -5 dilligaf said:

Nov 11, 2024 16:26:30 GMT -5 Walter said:

I didn't ask if a POTUS had the power. That's never been tested at SCOTUS.
I asked SHOULD a POTUS pardon himself? Would you be okay with it regardless of how heinous the crime might be?
IOW, is a POTUS totally above the law?

No one is totally above the law.
That's why we have impeachment protocol for a POTUS who goes too far.

Now .............  did a POTUS commit a REAL crime, or was it a crime manufactured by his political opponents' lawfare?
Additionally, the POTUS has power to pardon only FEDERAL crimes.

Nobody is above the law? If Scotus says a POTUS can pardon himself, it wouldn't be 'above the law', would it? It would be smack-dab in the middle of it.
Say he literally shoots a federal LEO dead in the Oval office, witnessed by the entire cabinet.
Should he be legally be able to pardon himself?
Impeachment doesn't address the criminality, only the fitness for office. But in this scenario, once removed, he's a murderer who has been pardoned by the POTUS. Now what?

[AlaCowboy]

Nov 11, 2024 16:37:24 GMT -5 Walter said:

Nov 11, 2024 16:28:02 GMT -5 daleko said:

I noticed you typed should rather than can. The can part is, most believe, unknown and untested. Should? Let me know when they decide he can. 

As a thought experiment, the Q remains, regardless of whether or not SCOTUS says it is legal.
Should a POTUS be allowed to pardon himself for crimes, ANY CRIMES, he may commit?

You got it wrong. Since we don't know if a president can pardon himself, asking if a president should pardon himself is a moot point. I can think of at least one instance where the answer would be yes.

[daleko]

Nov 11, 2024 16:43:06 GMT -5 Walter said:

Nov 11, 2024 16:36:03 GMT -5 dilligaf said:

No one is totally above the law.
That's why we have impeachment protocol for a POTUS who goes too far.

Now .............  did a POTUS commit a REAL crime, or was it a crime manufactured by his political opponents' lawfare?
Additionally, the POTUS has power to pardon only FEDERAL crimes.

Nobody is above the law? If Scotus says a POTUS can pardon himself, it wouldn't be 'above the law', would it? It would be smack-dab in the middle of it.
Say he literally shoots a federal LEO dead in the Oval office, witnessed by the entire cabinet.
Should he be legally be able to pardon himself?
Impeachment doesn't address the criminality, only the fitness for office. But in this scenario, once removed, he's a murderer who has been pardoned by the POTUS. Now what?

In your far fetched example, if that LEO caused him to fear for his life, it could be legal homicide. And in the real world at least one former POTUS carried a gun in the White House and actually slept w a gun on his bedside table. And later, while running for POTUS again, like Trump, was shot.

[nu5ncbigred]

Republicans didn’t do this to Alito or Thomas four years ago. I believe/ guess that they will voluntarily retire two years from now

[Walter]

Nov 11, 2024 17:04:26 GMT -5 daleko said:

Nov 11, 2024 16:43:06 GMT -5 Walter said:

Nobody is above the law? If Scotus says a POTUS can pardon himself, it wouldn't be 'above the law', would it? It would be smack-dab in the middle of it.
Say he literally shoots a federal LEO dead in the Oval office, witnessed by the entire cabinet.
Should he be legally be able to pardon himself?
Impeachment doesn't address the criminality, only the fitness for office. But in this scenario, once removed, he's a murderer who has been pardoned by the POTUS. Now what?

In your far fetched example, if that LEO caused him to fear for his life, it could be legal homicide. And in the real world at least one former POTUS carried a gun in the White House and actually slept w a gun on his bedside table. And later, while running for POTUS again, like Trump, was shot.

In our thought experiment, the POTUS didn't like the way the guy parted his hair while he was sitting quietly reading a book. And for that, POTUS shot him dead.
Pardon okay, or not?

[Panama pfRedd]

Don't entertain this psycho admin's psycho ramblings. It gets you nothing.

[canefan]

Nov 11, 2024 16:28:02 GMT -5 daleko said:

Nov 11, 2024 14:25:50 GMT -5 Walter said:

Should ANY POTUS ever pardon himself?

I noticed you typed should rather than can. The can part is, most believe, unknown and untested. Should? Let me know when they decide he can. 

Walts favorite legal experts, Jonathan Turley, says he can, he has the authority, but thinks it would be a bad idea. I don't think, in Trump's case, he will need to do so. The DOJ is already looking like they are going to close out the two federal cases against Trump. The two NY state cases he can't pardon anyway but the fraud case took a shellacking in the appeals hearing and the Merchan case is especially weak on appeal. I think Georgia is all he may have left to deal with and they don't seem to know what they are doing down there. I do fully expect Biden to pardon Hunter before he leaves.