Amicus Opinionpalooza: The Supreme Court End-of-Term Breakfast Table
Jul 6, 2024
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Legal experts Dahlia Lithwick, Mark Joseph Stern, Steve Vladeck, and Mary Anne Franks discuss the recent Supreme Court decisions, including Trump immunity, policy involvement, conservative justices' power plays and disregard for expertise, conspiracy theories, challenges to democracy, and the Court's impact on public perception. The discussion delves into Chief Justice John Roberts' evolving stance and the broader implications of the Court's rulings.
The Supreme Court's decisions are reshaping power dynamics and weakening democratic institutions.
The court is actively involved in intricate policy issues, raising questions about judicial competencies and potential overreach.
Concerns regarding justices' approaches, selective empathy, disparagement of colleagues, and alignment with political narratives were highlighted in the podcast.
Deep dives
The Supreme Court's Evolution and Decision Making Process
The podcast episode delves into the Supreme Court's decision-making process, highlighting the justices' attitude towards their role. It explores challenges faced by the court, such as redefining the rule of law and democracy. With a focus on the 2023 term, it discusses justices' perspectives on various cases and their impact on governance and democracy.
Dismantling of Democracy and The Rule of Law
The episode discusses a larger theme concerning the Supreme Court's actions undermining democracy and the rule of law. It points out the trend of contempt for experts, government, and democratic principles among the conservative justices. The discussion touches on how the court's decisions collectively contribute to reshaping the power dynamics and weakening democratic institutions.
Implications of Judicial Empowerment and Policy Decision Making
The conversation extends to the implications of judicial empowerment and policy decisions by the Supreme Court. It sheds light on the court's deep involvement in intricate policy issues like border security and environmental regulations, portraying the court as an authority in diverse policy matters. This active judicial role raises questions about the court's competencies and potential overreach in policy domains.
Critique of Judicial Processes and Decision-Making Dynamics
The episode critiques the judicial processes and decision-making dynamics within the Supreme Court. It highlights concerns regarding the justices' approaches, including selective empathy, disparagement of colleagues, and alignment with political narratives. The discussion unravels the complexities of internal court dynamics and the implications of such interactions on legal principles and governance.
Call for Change and Reflection on Judicial Ethics and Accountability
The conversation concludes with a call to action for change and reflection on judicial ethics and accountability. It emphasizes the need for heightened awareness of the court's impact on democracy and governance. The episode advocates for a reevaluation of judicial conduct, the promotion of democratic principles, and the importance of accountability in shaping legal processes and outcomes.
What just happened??? Despite going into June clear-eyed and well informed about the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, the number of huge cases before it, and the alarming stakes in so many of those cases…we are, nonetheless, shocked. The October 2023 term came to a shuddering end on Monday July 1st and Dahlia Lithwick, Mark Joseph Stern, Steve Vladeck and Mary Anne Franks are here to help parse some monumental decisions, some smaller cases with big ramifications, and what we can understand about the Justices who made those decisions for the rest of us, and the Justices who dissented.
This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slate’s coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. We kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)