05-30-2024, 08:57 PM
(05-30-2024, 08:21 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: This is why I favor my method for SCOTUS reform. A new justice is appointed every two years with the most senior justice serving as chief for two years. Once a justice has served 18 years, or 9 appointment terms, they "retire." Retirement in this case simply means they may still sit in a circuit and may be brought into the main bench if there is a recusal or an emergency requiring a ninth. So they remain as justices but they are not "active."
This removes the politicization of the court by allowing each POTUS to nominate two justices during their term. No POTUS would be able to stack the court with a majority because the most they could appoint would be four. It also means there is a constant rotation of jurists on the bench, avoiding things like justices holding on far longer than they should.
I actually quite like this idea. The only issue I see immediately is what happens if there's no circuit opening for a "retired SCOTUS justice? I don't know how feasible that is, but it's the first thing I thought of. Other than that, I think this is solid.
(05-30-2024, 08:25 PM)pally Wrote: I would also increase the size of the court to 13 to match the number of US Federal Districts. The Justices rotate their assigned district every session
I'd be fine with this as well, as long as both parties got two nominees of their choice during the expansion, regardless of who's POTUS. The whole Senate confirmation process would have to be amended a bit for these extra appointees as well, otherwise the party in control would simply stymie all the other party's top picks.
