Posted on 11/26/2018 6:43:42 PM PST by Kaslin
Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens plans to release his book, "The Making of a Justice: My First 94 Years,” in May, not long after his 99th birthday. The New York Times interviewed him for a piece about his memoir, at which point he laid out the three Supreme Court decisions he still believes, to this day, were the wrong decision.
District of Columbia v. Heller
The 2008 landmark decision, often referred to as Heller, was a 5-4 decision that upheld an individual's right to possess a firearm for self-defense. There is no need to be part of a militia in order to own a gun.
The Court also ruled that Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban and lock requirements were unconstitutional and directly violated the Second Amendment. The District had previously required residents who had firearms in the home to keep them disassembled or bound with a trigger lock when stored, something the Court believed when against the entire purpose of having a firearm: for self-defense.
Stevens was one of the four dissenters. He was the one who actually wrote the dissenting opinion, arguing that firearm ownership had to be connected to militia service.
He reflected back on the decision saying, "The combination of its actual practical impact by increasing the use of guns in the country and also the legal reasoning, which I thought was totally unpersuasive, persuaded me that the case is just about as bad as any in my tenure."
According to Stevens, he did everything in this power to try to persuade others in the majority to understand his point-of-view, in hopes of getting them to switch their vote. He knew that it was likely that the others on the Court would side with gun owners so he sent around a draft of what would become his dissenting opinion five weeks before Justice Scalia drafted the majority opinion.
“I thought I should give it every effort to switch the case before it was too late,” he said.
Although Stevens' efforts failed, he was successful in getting Justice Anthony Kennedy to have Scalia make "important changes" to part of the majority opinion.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
The 2010 decision held that political spending is a protected form of speech under the First Amendment. Unions and corporations are allowed to influence voter opinions by supporting or opposing specific candidates, although they're not allowed to give directly to a political campaign. This was another 5-4 case.
“Money in politics — it’s hard to believe the extent of it,” Stevens said about the case.
Bush v. Gore
Stevens also believes it was a mistake for the Court to decide the president in 2000. The justices were tasked with settling a discount dispute in Florida
“It was really a disgrace,” he told The Times.
Good summary, and as a footnote: all three were 5-4 decisions; The Cnstitutional rights at stake in those cases were preserved by the slimmest of margins. Scary but hey, there’s no pictures on the scorecard.
Wonder how they’d receive him if we could strap him in a time machine and send him back to 1776?
John Paul Stevens - just a lonely and irrelevant old man trying to get some attention.
Is there anyone stupid enough to believe Stevens actually. Wrote the book himself?
In his 90s I doubt he even remembers any of this. Stevens is just an old man making a fool of himself.
“Its fascinating how the Left now regularly spends billions on elections— outspending the right— but still says its imperative to limit spending.”
Yes, they think that it’s o.k. for Unions (and public unions in particular) to be able to spend on elections without limit, but that businesses should not have that same right. The RATS are always pi$$ing on your leg and telling you that it’s raining!
I shudder to think what he feeeeeeeeeeels are his crowning achievements!
“Gerald Ford: “John Paul Stevens was my biggest mistake”.”
How many justices that became rabidly liberal have republican president appointed?
How many justices that became conservatives have democrat presidents appointed?
All the supreme court did in Bush V Gore was to ask the FL court how it came to its conclusion. The chief justice of the FSC WARNED the rest of that court that it would fail.
They then dropped the case.
Typical Rockefeller Republican.
Stevens was Ford’s biggest mistake and Souter was the elder Bush’s biggest mistake.
It will get better though. Just give it a little more time.
I think you meant “dumbass”...
There is no requirement for a Supreme Court Justice to be a lawyer.
IMHO I would say that finding a law school graduate who has respect for following the law rather then making the law is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack.
Ford is as dead as a door nail.
I have seen the grave.
John Paul Stevens: One of the worst anti-Constitutional black robed tyrants in the history of the Republic.
I cannot take Justice “sweet mystery of life” Stevens seriously.
“These Are The 3 Biggest ‘Errors’ SCOTUS Made During My Tenure”.
Or... three times I was outvoted. Self-important moron.
On the plus side...this old loser will soon meet his maker.
This turd being made a justice is number four. ***holes shouldn’t be allowed on the Supreme Court.
Militia? Hey Stevens. Go suck on the business end of a musket. Maggot.
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