erik lundegaard

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Sunday March 19, 2017

Quote of Last Month

“The personal attacks on the distinguished district judge [James Robart in Seattle, called a ”so-called judge“ by Trump in a tweet] and our colleagues were out of all bounds of civic and persuasive discourse—particularly when they came from the parties. Such personal attacks treat the court as though it were merely a political forum in which bargaining, compromise, and even intimidation are acceptable principles. The courts of law must be more than that, or we are not governed by law at all.”

-- Judge Jay Bybee, a conservative judge, and member of the George W. Bush administration, in his dissent on the Ninth Circuit ruling overturning Pres. Donald Trump's original excutive order banning refugees and immigrants from seven mostly Muslim countries.

In other words, Bybee thought Trump's EO was constitutional but his rhetoric and behavior loutish, and an attempt to undermine the rule of law. I came across the quote in John Cassidy's piece “Donald Trump Finally Pays a Price for his False and Reckless Words.” Not a high enough price, sadly. Not yet anyway. 

Posted at 03:59 PM on Sunday March 19, 2017 in category Quote of the Day