10
Loading video...
By Alex Backus
Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A U.S. federal judge, appointed by then-Republican President George W. Bush, argues that U.S. Supreme Court justices should be subject to an ethics code.
Senior U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton called the absence of such a code "unimaginable," during a conference in Chicago hosted by the National Judiciary College.
"We've had some judges who've been engaged in atrocious behavior, sexual assault, sexual intimidation and other misconduct," Walton said at the event Thursday, per Reuters. "And many times we haven't been proactive in punishing them and sanctioning them for what they've done."
Read More
Supreme Court Might Get a Code of Ethics Thanks to Clarence Thomas3 min read
Ginni Thomas Saw Overturning Biden’s Win as a ‘Constitutional Duty’4 min read
Hawley Says It’s Misogynistic to Ask Justice Thomas to Recuse Jan. 6 Cases3 min read
Appointed by Bush in 2001, Walton has joined growing calls for a conduct code. In recent weeks, a bill that sets to establish such a code was sent to the House of Representatives.
"If the perception of the American public is that we have a segment of our judiciary that's not policing itself adequately because it has no rules that dictate how they are to conduct themselves, I think it does create a real problem," Walton said, Reuters added.
A recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that Americans' confidence in the Supreme Court has declined since late 2020. As of May 2022, more than 50 percent of Americans have no or little confidence in the high court, the poll shows.
A lack of accountability affects the "respect for the judiciary," Walton also told The Washington Post on Friday.
"As a court system, federal, state and otherwise, we are under scrutiny and under attack," he said. "And I think there's an attempt by some to undermine our independence. And because of that I think all judges should be subject to a code of ethics."
On May 11, the House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill that would require the nation's highest court to adopt an ethics code. The legislation will now be considered by the full House.
The proposed ethics code would also strengthen rules for justices to recuse themselves from any case where there is a conflict of interest, Reuters reported.
Calls have grown for Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from cases regarding the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Text messages reportedly showed his wife Virginia Thomas supporting efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
...
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines