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Cornyn Justifies Violence Against Judges

By Judd Legum on Apr 4th, 2005 at 5:30 pm

Cornyn Justifies Violence Against Judges

John Cornyn (R-TX) on the Senate Floor today:

I don’t know if there is a cause-and-effect connection but we have seen some recent episodes of courthouse violence in this country. Certainly nothing new, but we seem to have run through a spate of courthouse violence recently that’s been on the news and I wonder whether there may be some connection between the perception in some quarters on some occasions where judges are making political decisions yet are unaccountable to the public, that it builds up and builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in — engage in violence.

Hat Tip: Americablog

Comments
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15 Responses to “Cornyn Justifies Violence Against Judges”

leftinthewest.com » What’s the Matter with Texas? says:

[...] udges are acceptable and he has refused to clarify. Today, Sen. John Cornyn wonders “whether there may be some connection between the perception in some quarters on some occasions where judges [...]
April 4th, 2005 at 11:24 pm
Anomalous Data - Why it's OK to shoot judges... says:

[...] ges…

Via Oliver Willis, this link to Think Progress, who got it from
April 5th, 2005 at 4:44 am
Zookeeper says:

Seems to be exactly what he’s hoping for.
April 4th, 2005 at 5:51 pm
Thomas says:

How can he link the recent killing of a judges family members and the judge that was shot down in Atlanta to so-called “activist judges”. In addition, some one needs to remind the Republicans that we have three branches of government not two. The courts are not the servants of congress. Congress has a role in creating the courts but that does not mean they get to tell them how to do their job.
April 4th, 2005 at 6:09 pm
Thom says:

That’s actually a tough one to untangle.

First, in the Schiavo case, the judges were NOT making poltical decisions–they were following established precedent and law, acting in accordance with standards for sound practice. Hence why the Supreme Court, for example, declined to review the case. & why the appellate courts upheld the earlier decisions.

So that–and in presumably some other cases–the judges were faulted “in some quarters” for NOT being political, NOT being activist.

Second, there’s also a bit of distortion about how judical decisions–and the judicial branch–are “accountable to the public.” It’s not by push polling, popularity contests, or otherwise sampling the mood of the moment.

Rather, it’s by defined guidelines and standards of conduct.

These, of course, can and do evolve over time due to public input and that of the legislative and executive branches. But in the interests of fairness, equity and coherence, we obviously don’t want judical practices changing with every shift in the political weather.

Parties go up; parties go down. The law, ideally, should function properly and apply equally to all regardless of what party currently sits in the Whitehouse, Congress, or both.

John Cornyn makes it sounds like the judges are–or should be, like himself, continually running for re-election. Again, not what we want for that branch of government.

Third and last, American citizens have an appeal process.

The appeal process does not guarentee that you will receive a favorable verdict: only that you will receive fairness under law.

Not getting what you want is not the same as violent state-sponsored poltical oppression.

No reason whatsoever why violence in the courthouse should ever be justified as a form of political protest.

Any more than the bombing in Oklahoma City of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

Cornyn’s learned nothing from what happened only ten years ago–during a similar anti-government rhetoric storm by Rightist political leaders.

Sad, indeed.
April 4th, 2005 at 6:13 pm
Oliver Willis says:

GOP Senator: Anti-Judge Violence Justified
John Cornyn, R-TX, on the senate floor
I donÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t know if there is a cause-and-effect connection but we have see
April 4th, 2005 at 6:29 pm
nlacey says:

There is a rancid stench associated with smug and self-rightous. Let’s learn to hold our collective noses around these folks.
April 4th, 2005 at 8:43 pm
Russ Ruszkowski says:

Maybe he thinks that judges should ask the defendant what judgment would stop revenge killing. Or poll the local Republicans to make sure a ruling won’t upset the apple cart…

moron
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Cornyn Justifies Violence Against Judges

Cornyn Justifies Violence Against Judges

15 Responses to “Cornyn Justifies Violence Against Judges”

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