4 ms·
Let's place the blame where it lies -- with this idiot judge. If a plaintiff has a legitimate case, and the goverment has a legitimate reason for secrecy, then
by ccleve 12y ago
Let's place the blame where it lies -- with this idiot judge. If a plaintiff has a legitimate case, and the goverment has a legitimate reason for secrecy, then it's the job of the judge to navigate these waters so justice is done. The judge has a ton of tools at his disposal. He can exclude certain evidence. He can review the evidence himself, which is probably what he would be doing in a bench trial anyway. He can give an indication of how he is likely to rule, knowing what he knows, and push the parties to settle. He can tell litigants that their chances would be better if they used lawyers who were cleared to have classified information. There are hundreds of things he can do, and he is required to do them, because it's his damn job.
We give way too much deference to federal judges.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- osirisr 12y agoIt's the judges fault? Yeah, its pretty hard to 'support the common good' when you have a 'gun' put to your head.
- jamiesonbecker 12y agoSoldiers and police do it every day.
- wavefunction 12y agoThose aren't even the most dangerous jobs in the US. Garbage collectors and construction workers face a higher chance of maiming or death every day than soldiers or police officers.
- pavpanchekha 12y agoI think this is a little too much conspiracy-mongering. Three federal judges have been killed in office, none of them seemingly assassinated by the US. government. Federal judges also have good job protection—"federal judges have perhaps the best job security available in the United States", and only 15 have ever been impeached in all history (it would take a session of Congress). Judges are also socially well-respected, so it'd be hard to find social attacks on a judge. What exactly were you going for with your comment? What sort of illicit pressure were you suggesting?
- madaxe_again 12y agoI can't speak for the U.S., but I do know of (as it's someone I know - not because it's been in the press, apart from the character assassination bit) one case in the UK where, behind closed doors, a senior QC opposed the machinations of a secret court... And then totally unrelatedly the press and prime minister come forwards to slander him, and his wife is found at home brain dead, apparently having tried to commit suicide.
- spacemanmatt 12y agoSee any prosecutors' office's standard practice of 'papering' an uncooperative judge. This does happen. Ex: http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/orange-county-line/papering-the-judge http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/orange-county-line/pa...