![]() And, if we consider that over 100 million cases are filed in the state courts each year, a different focus for our inquiry starts to take shape. ![]() After all, the Court decides fewer than 75 cases a year out of the nearly 360,000 federal criminal and civil cases, and nearly half of the Court’s cases are decided unanimously or nearly so and with little controversy. If we even start to discuss the Court, the Justices, and the confirmation process, it will attract all or most of our attention and we may flip or at least lose the possibility of a larger view. In this conversation, there is one boulder I particularly wish to avoid, at least as we begin our trip down river: that boulder, if you will, is the United States Supreme Court. If you do, your body will turn and you will collide with the very thing you wish to avoid. I did learn one thing that I have carried to this day: if there is a large boulder that you must avoid, never look at it. The course turned out to be nothing short of terrifying, and I have tried to forget most of that experience, especially the part where the novice kayaker hangs upside down about to drown or sustain a concussion. Some years ago my wife Nancy and I took a river kayaking course on the American River in Sacramento. Thank you Judge Rendell for convening this discussion. It is a great honor to be with you today to speak about the importance of fair and impartial courts and the role of judicial independence in achieving that goal. Levi delivered the following keynote address on October 26, 2019, at the Fair and Impartial Judiciary Symposium at the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement in Philadelphia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |