Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Justice stands to gain from ruling ( Tyrant Richard Sanders )
Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | March 10, 2009 | TRACY JOHNSON

Posted on 03/11/2009 3:45:07 PM PDT by george76

Sanders should have recused himself from case, ethics experts say.

Justice Richard Sanders, who sued the state to get documents about himself, could be awarded much more money because of a ruling he wrote recently for the state Supreme Court.

Sanders' lawyers say new legal guidelines -- ones the justice himself created -- mean he should get far more than the $18,112 he was already awarded in his lawsuit...

Legal-ethics experts say Sanders probably should not have participated in the high court case because of its similarity to his own.

"You shouldn't act as a judge if you stand to benefit from your own ruling," ...

Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics professor at New York University School of Law, said Sanders should have recused himself because the case allowed him to indirectly influence his own.

He filed his lawsuit in 2005, after he'd gotten into ethical trouble for talking with residents at a state facility for sexually violent predators while some had pending court cases.

Sanders, a justice for 13 years, is known for his frequent and fiery dissents, and for sometimes controversial actions. He was admonished for his 2003 visit to the sexually violent predators facility.

Years earlier, the Commission on Judicial Conduct voted to reprimand him for joining an anti-abortion rally at the state Capitol, but a panel of judges later concluded he was within his free-speech rights.

Just last November, his actions grabbed headlines when he stood at a black-tie dinner and shouted "Tyrant!" at the keynote speaker, then-U.S. Attorney Michael Mukasey.

(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: judiciary; mukasey; richardbsanders; richardsanders; sanders; scotus; supremecourt
Just last November, Justice Richard Sanders grabbed headlines when he stood at a black-tie dinner and shouted "Tyrant!" at the keynote speaker, then-U.S. Attorney Michael Mukasey

.

1 posted on 03/11/2009 3:45:07 PM PDT by george76
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: jazusamo; sionnsar

Justice Richard Sanders


2 posted on 03/11/2009 3:48:12 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: george76
He kinda reminds me of this judge:

Maybe he threatened them with a "Yellow s**t storm".

3 posted on 03/11/2009 3:57:59 PM PDT by capt. norm (Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv; SeaHawkFan; Uncle Miltie; Cicero; Congressman Billybob; Buchal

Wash. Supreme Court Justice May Benefit From Own Ruling

Justice Richard B. Sanders says he will not benefit because he has agreed to pay his lawyer any money he’s awarded

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202428964400&rss=newswire


4 posted on 03/11/2009 4:02:32 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: george76

He’s been controversial alright. I believe he tried to play dumb when accused of the “tyrant” remark at the black tie dinner but finally admitted it when pinned down.


5 posted on 03/11/2009 4:03:49 PM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LucyT; Candor7

Justice acknowledges yelling “tyrant” at U.S. attorney general

http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/674677.html


6 posted on 03/11/2009 4:04:40 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: george76

...expecting Justices to act with Justice, who would have thunk it?
Kind of like expecting Justice from the Department of Justice...
Rush this story to the Ministry of Truth.


7 posted on 03/11/2009 4:05:43 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: OneWingedShark

As someone who has argued several cases to the Washington Supreme Court, I would definitely say he is one of the smartest judges on the court. And, he “gets” the idea that judges are supposed to make prinicipled, as opposed to political, decisions. In other words, in making decisions, he acts pretty much like a conservative would want a judge to act.

Unfortunately, he also is apparently one of the more abrasive judges on the court. Which means that although he is usually on the legally correct side of a case, he is also very frequently on the dissenting side.

I think that abrasiveness has also led to some of his ethical problems.


8 posted on 03/11/2009 4:52:46 PM PDT by TheConservator ("I spent my life trying not to be careless. Women and children can be careless, but not men.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: TheConservator

*nod* - I think I see what you are saying... and I think I forgot my “[/cynic]” tag.


9 posted on 03/11/2009 5:06:12 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: george76
Well, that IS the way to fight liberal fascism.

Ridicule and derision

10 posted on 03/11/2009 5:43:54 PM PDT by Candor7 (The weapons of choice againsnt fascism are ridicule, and derision. (member NRA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: george76

I remember looking him up after the “tyrant” remark. Notice that he also got into trouble for attending an “anti-abortion” (i.e., pro-life) rally.

I suspect that he is unpopular with the press and fellow judges because he is a CONSERVATIVE, who doesn’t suffer fools gladly.


11 posted on 03/11/2009 5:44:51 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TheConservator

WA Attorney here,

I think he is a great Justice. I loved his dissent in the Mariner’s ballpark case. CLEAN v. STATE, 130 Wn.2d 782 (1996)

Though I am truly sorry he had to write it.

http://www.mrsc.org/mc/supreme/archive/130wn2d/130wn2d0782.htm


12 posted on 03/11/2009 6:09:53 PM PDT by 13foxtrot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: george76; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
Sanders should have recused himself from case, ethics experts say... Sanders, who sued the state to get documents about himself, could be awarded much more money because of a ruling he wrote recently for the state Supreme Court. Sanders' lawyers say new legal guidelines -- ones the justice himself created -- mean he should get far more than the $18,112 he was already awarded in his lawsuit... Legal-ethics experts say Sanders probably should not have participated in the high court case because of its similarity to his own... He filed his lawsuit in 2005, after he'd gotten into ethical trouble for talking with residents at a state facility for sexually violent predators while some had pending court cases... justice for 13 years, is known for his frequent and fiery dissents, and for sometimes controversial actions... Years earlier, the Commission on Judicial Conduct voted to reprimand him for joining an anti-abortion rally at the state Capitol, but a panel of judges later concluded he was within his free-speech rights. Just last November, his actions grabbed headlines when he stood at a black-tie dinner and shouted "Tyrant!" at the keynote speaker, then-U.S. Attorney Michael Mukasey.
Thanks geo.
13 posted on 03/11/2009 6:39:21 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: 13foxtrot

What about his decision that defendants in criminal trials have no right to be present at their trial, cross examine the state’s witnesses, call witnesses, testify in their own defense, be present to hear the verdict, and also have justices who were on the witness list decide an appeal?

In case you think this could not possibly happen, you would be wrong. It happened to me, but my petition for Cert to the USSC is going in the mail this Friday.


14 posted on 03/11/2009 9:01:49 PM PDT by SeaHawkFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: george76
Sanders said Monday that his decision in Yousoufian was consistent with his stance in other cases, supporting broad access to public records access and high penalties for government agencies that illegally withhold documents. He added that in May 2006 the Supreme Court's ethics expert told him she didn't think he needed to remove himself from public records cases.

Based on past decisions of the WASC concerning public records, Sanders is being truthful. If a WA SC ethics expert said he did not need to recuse, it's a hard case to make that he violated any CJC provision.

15 posted on 03/11/2009 9:38:55 PM PDT by SeaHawkFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SeaHawkFan

Thanks.


16 posted on 03/11/2009 10:00:27 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: george76

Based on my personal knowledge of the corruption within the government of Washington, I believe that once Sanders gets the documents, he is going to have a huge civil rights case against a lot of people within that government. If that was nopt the case, he’d have the documents already.


17 posted on 03/12/2009 4:13:24 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson