Costco Connection - November 2005

Because they serve for life, justices are insulated from pressure groups and partisan politics.

Catherine Woodson Richmond, VA

Barring misconduct, or any other act that is considered egregious, they should serve until they retire or resign.

Honor Dela Fuente

KEN BROMAN

Union, NJ

Since the Supreme Court sets the moral code for our country, justices should serve life terms. Infrequent changes in the court provide stability.

Should Supreme Court
justices have life tenure? NO

from members:

Judge John G. Roberts Jr.’s confirmation in September as chief

Matt Gerchom

justice of the United States marked the first Supreme Court appoint-

Miami Beach, FL

ment in 11 years. The Constitution says justices may serve until

death or retirement—a tenet adopted when life spans were much

shorter. Today, many feel term limits should be imposed. They argue

that no individual should wield such authority over such a long

I think people get rigid in their thinking over time. Someone making the kind of decisions a Supreme Court judge makes should be more contem-porary-minded.

period—especially when there’s no mechanism to ensure retirement

Jeanna De Ris

if justices should become mentally or physically unfit. Critics of such

Woodburn, OR

reform argue that many justices have served honorably well into old

age, and that it could lead to more changes that may hamper the

court’s ability to interpret the law completely free from political

Dead wood needs to be pruned. We need fresh minds able to see the needs of society as they emerge.

pressure. What do you think?

Find out more about this topic on the Web: www.denverpost.com/guestcommentary/ci_2934280 www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A15764-2004Nov26 www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/12/10/lazarus.federal.judges/index.html