... and Justice for All

Traffic Stops on I-70 in Kansas Unconstitutional Federal Judge Rules

"The Kansas two-step" is what a practice by state troopers in Kansas of stopping cars with out-of-state license plates ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. The New York Times reports: Kansas Troopers 'Waged War on Motorists,' Federal Judge Finds. The following sums up the Court's ruling:

“The war is basically a question of numbers: stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs,” wrote Senior Judge Kathryn H. Vratil of the Federal District Court. “And what’s the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way?” 

Always nice, especially given its rarity, to see a federal judge sticking up for the rights of ordinary citizens. The Fourth Amendment to our Constitutional prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures of our persons and things. 

Robert L. Abell
www.RobertAbellLaw.com

Is Justice Kavanaugh Up to the Job?

Evidence is mounting that Brett Kavanaugh is just not up to the job of Supreme Court Justice; see The Supreme Court Has a Clear Intellectual Lightweight on Slate. 

Kavanaugh has the same failings as Clarence Thomas: neither of them ever worked as a real lawyer and so their stuck with their limited experience allowing little appreciation for how their rulings play out and apply (or not) in the real world. Barrett's likely to prove the same but it's too early to tell. 

Robert L. Abell
www.RobertAbellLaw.com

Whatever Happened to Ethics on the Supreme Court? We're Looking at You, Thomas and Alito

Anyone not supremely disappointed by reporting recently on what will be generously labeled the massive, ethical lapses of Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito should reconsider and a good place to get back on the right track is this guest essay, Does The Supreme Court Realize How Bad It Smells?, in the New York Times by U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor. Here's a summary of Judge Ponsor's concerns:

The recent descriptions of the behavior of some of our justices and particularly their attempts to defend their conduct have not just raised my eyebrows; they’ve raised the whole top of my head. Lavish, no-cost vacations? Hypertechnical arguments about how a free private airplane flight is a kind of facility? A justice’s spouse prominently involved in advocating on issues before the court without the justice’s recusal? Repeated omissions in mandatory financial disclosure statements brushed under the rug as inadvertent? A justice’s taxpayer-financed staff reportedly helping to promote her books? Private school tuition for a justice’s family member covered by a wealthy benefactor? Wow.

The worst offenders by far have been Thomas and Alito, but they are not alone. Ladies and gentlemen, that's not how it's done.

Robert L. Abell
www.RobertAbellLaw.com

Sixth Circuit Judge Thapar has a book on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

Sixth Circuit Judge Amul Thapar has written a book extolling the judicial philosophy of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as the New York Times reports: Federal Judge Defends Clarence Thomas in New Book. 

Robert L. Abell
www.RobertAbellLaw.com