Every judge knows that you don't vacation with friends and accept their generosity while their case is pending before you. But that's just what Justice Antonin Scalia did with Dick Cheney, whose energy case is being heard by the Supreme Court this week. Though it's unlikely he'll do so, Justice Scalia still has time to do the right thing and recuse himself from this case. (Technically, he can do so up until the Court renders a decision.)
As legal ethics expert Stephen Gillers wrote recently in The Nation, Scalia's determination to stay on the case, "tells thousands of federal and state judges that it can be OK to vacation with friends who have cases before them and to accept the generosity of those friends while their cases are pending. "
The DC-based group Alliance for Justice, a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations, has created an online animated movie, Quid Pro Quack, which shows the absurdity of Scalia's refusal to recuse himself. Click here to watch the movie. It's fun and informative. And click here to sign the AFJ's petition to urge Scalia to "Choose to Recuse."
Peter Rothberg
Every judge knows that you don’t vacation with friends and accept their generosity while their case is pending before you. But that’s just what Justice Antonin Scalia did with Dick Cheney, whose energy case is being heard by the Supreme Court this week. Though it’s unlikely he’ll do so, Justice Scalia still has time to do the right thing and recuse himself from this case. (Technically, he can do so up until the Court renders a decision.)
As legal ethics expert Stephen Gillers wrote recently in The Nation, Scalia’s determination to stay on the case, “tells thousands of federal and state judges that it can be OK to vacation with friends who have cases before them and to accept the generosity of those friends while their cases are pending. “
The DC-based group Alliance for Justice, a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women’s, children’s and consumer advocacy organizations, has created an online animated movie, Quid Pro Quack, which shows the absurdity of Scalia’s refusal to recuse himself. Click here to watch the movie. It’s fun and informative. And click here to sign the AFJ’s petition to urge Scalia to “Choose to Recuse.”
Peter RothbergTwitterPeter Rothberg is the The Nation’s associate publisher.