Trump’s SCOTUS Pick: And then there were Three

[corbe]

Trump’s SCOTUS Pick: And then there were Three

By Sam Thomas  |  January 25, 2017, 02:17pm  |  @sthomas0311


Reports are circulating today that Donald Trump has narrowed his list of potential SCOTUS picks to three;  Bill Pryor, 10 Circuit Judge Niel Gorsuch, and Thomas Hardiman. Trump is expected to make his final announcement next week and hopes to have the nominee confirmed in time to hear arguments for the coming term, starting in April.

Pryor has been widely considered the heavy favorite, although he has a less than stellar record when it comes to confirmation hearings. He was originally appointed during a recess of the Senate to prevent a filibuster and was eventually confirmed on a 53-45 vote. Democrats have long opposed him for his stance on Roe v. Wade as “worst abomination in the history of constitutional law”, but he has a strong record that has been praised by conservatives. Pryor’s notable decisions include a ruling against the Obamacare contraceptive mandate and decision affirming Georgia’s voter ID laws.

Erick wrote a few days ago that Neil Gorsuch was the new favorite to fill Scalia’s seat, and it still appears likely that he could be the nominee. Gorsuch has a solid conservative record and, at 49 years old, is the youngest of the three. Conservatives who follow him closely have noted his Scalia-esque writing style and sharp wit. Gorsuch is considered a brilliant legal mind. As well as a J.D. from Harvard, has earned a Doctorate of Legal Philosophy from Oxford.  Given his writing flair and impressive intellect, he seems to be the natural heir to Scalia’s seat.

Thomas Hardiman looks to be the dark-horse candidate, although the fact that he’s among the final three candidates suggests he is gaining steam. Hardiman (Georgetown) and Pryor’s (Tulane) educational backgrounds both fit Trump’s anti-establishment narrative, as they would break the current Columbia/Yale/Harvard SCOTUS monopoly. Those three law schools have accounted for 35 Supreme Court Justices, including all 8 currently on the bench.

<..snip..>

http://theresurgent.com/trumps-scotus-pick-and-then-there-were-three/

[geronl]

I don't like any of them.

[Applewood]

I don't like any of them.

I don't know most of them.  I once worked at the same law firm with Tom Hardiman.  He seemed like a nice guy, but I haven't really followed his subsequent judicial career. 

This court, and for that matter,  all the lower courts need a major overhaul.  We must get rid of those jurists who think they can interpret the law to suit themselves,  or simply make new law.  I'm hoping whoever is nominated and approved will do all that.   It would be a good start.

[mirraflake]

I don't like any of them.

What's wrong with them?

@geronl

[skeeter]

As long as none of the three are named Maryanne Trump Barry.

[beandog]

Seriously @geronl .  What is it that makes you dislike them?

Because Pres. the Donald picked them so they must be bad.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Because Pres. the Donald picked them so they must be bad.

Right -- but don't feed the Troll.

I really like Gorsuch.  He writes very clearly, and is a solid judicial conservative.  He'd be the home run pick as far as I'm concerned.

[beandog]

Right -- but don't feed the Troll.

I really like Gorsuch.  He writes very clearly, and is a solid judicial conservative.  He'd be the home run pick as far as I'm concerned.

I know but sometimes it's just to hard to resist.

Not sure who I like.  Will have to here more about them  Other than Pryor I don't think I've even heard of the other two.

[mirraflake]

I don't like any of them.

You posted this in less than 4 minutes after the article was posted. You did not even read it.
You need to get over the Trump Derangement.

Nearly everything Trump has been doing is great.

@geronl

[geronl]

William Pryor was in favor and called for removing Roy Moore from the bench over the 10 Commandments. He was also state Attorney General... which is a political position.

Gorush was an official in the Bush Justice department, that's a red flag to me.

Hardiman I don't know much about.

The same reason I never liked the idea of Trump nominating Lee or Cruz, really, even though they'd probably fit in reasonably well.

But at least I have 2 more names on my ignore list.

[mrclose]

I know but sometimes it's just to hard to resist.

Not sure who I like.  Will have to here more about them  Other than Pryor I don't think I've even heard of the other two.

Pryor's decision to join the majority in (Glenn v. Brumby), a 2011 opinion that protected transgender people from workplace discrimination drops him down a peg in my opinion.

Gorsuch would be a great choice.
Scalia-esque in his legal theory and voting record and also in his writing style.

He held that the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that employee insurance plans cover contraceptives without a co-pay violated the rights of those employers that object to some or all contraceptives on religious grounds.

In the famous Hobby Lobby case, he sided with the conservative Christian family that owns the company and sued the federal government over the mandate.
I like him!

Hardiman defended the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania court house’s Ten Commandments plaque in 2000 as an attorney.
(Two atheists sued the county to get it pulled down!)

In a court case (Kelly v. Borough of Carlisle (2010) .. Brian Kelly claimed his First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated by a police officer who arrested him for filming during a traffic stop.
(He, Hardiman ruled as a Judge that there was no right to film police officers.)
A strike against in my opinion.

[Applewood]

@geronl

And everyone else : 

FWIW -- info on Tom Hardiman and his judicial career:

http://www.scotusblog.com/2017/01/potential-nominee-profile-thomas-hardiman/

[Applewood]

Thanks @mrclose

[geronl]

Notice again,

disagree with Trump - get personally attacked

[geronl]

.

Out of those 3, Gorush is definitely the top one. Pryor doesn't even deserve to be on it.

[EC]

You posted this in less than 4 minutes after the article was posted. You did not even read it.
You need to get over the Trump Derangement.

Nearly everything Trump has been doing is great.

@geronl

May as well post this here, since you opened the topic:

He has. And he's getting praise for it from most members. I've also noted that the few times Trump has stepped on his dick since inauguration, you've been less than impressed too. 

[mrclose]

Thanks @mrclose

He, (Gorsuch) also wrote a book on the value of life!
The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

snip

After assessing the strengths and weaknesses of arguments for assisted suicide and euthanasia, Gorsuch builds a nuanced, novel, and powerful moral and legal argument against legalization, one based on a principle that, surprisingly, has largely been overlooked in the debate--the idea that human life is intrinsically valuable and that intentional killing is always wrong.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P1JSK8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I really like the guy!

[geronl]

Couldn't find anything on Google about Hardiman? 

Why are you not in favor of someone of whom you are unfamiliar?  Wouldn't it make more sense to Google them all first, then state your thoughts instead of immediately stating you dislike them all?  Or is it a speed game to you to be the second poster on every thread to set the tone and ruin it?  Truly curious as to your hit and run posting motivations.

My default position is not to trust government and politicians, to be critical. That is how government and politicians should be regarded.

I don't even comment on the vast majority of threads.

Who's running?

[geronl]

In other words, you enjoy being a contrarian.

I am skeptical of government and politicians. Not a contrarian.