General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFederal judges' association calls emergency meeting after DOJ intervenes in case of Trump ally Stone
Kevin Johnson
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON A national association of federal judges has called an emergency meeting Tuesday to address growing concerns about the intervention of Justice Department officials and President Donald Trump in politically sensitive cases, the groups president said Monday.
Philadelphia U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, who heads the independent Federal Judges Association, said the group could not wait until its spring conference to weigh in on a deepening crisis that has enveloped the Justice Department and Attorney General William Barr.
There are plenty of issues that we are concerned about, Rufe told USA TODAY. Well talk all of this through.
Rufe, nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush, said the group of more than 1,000 federal jurists called for the meeting last week after Trump criticized prosecutors' initial sentencing recommendation for his friend Roger Stone and the Department of Justice overruled them.
</snip>
Whoa! Now the judges are weighing in - they don't sound pleased at all!!
On edit: Harry Litman
Link to tweet
Harry Litman ✔@harrylitman
This is mind-blowing. Ive never heard of anything like it. We are in full on crisis mode.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/17/roger-stone-sentence-judges-worried-political-interference/4788155002/
Federal judges' association calls emergency meeting after DOJ intervenes in case of Trump ally...
An association of federal judges has called an emergency meeting after Attorney General William Barr intervened in the case of Trump ally Roger Stone.
6:48 PM - Feb 17, 2020
malaise
(269,038 posts)RFN! This is HUGE!
This is how we maintain separation of powers in representative democracies.
You have no idea how happy this makes me
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)I heard an interesting factoid from Katy Tur earlier today about the 2000 ex-DoJ officials - there's even one from the Eisenhower admin!
Response to Dennis Donovan (Reply #3)
triron This message was self-deleted by its author.
samnsara
(17,622 posts)malaise
(269,038 posts)and that was that.
People do not give up separation of powers or democracy willingly
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)I was in trial in federal court a few weeks ago for a week. During that time the politics of the judge, his court reporter and the Assistant AG were clearly behind Trump. The Trump appointees currently make up a quarter of the federal judges due to Mitch McTurtle. Add in a lot of other Republican appointed judges who may still support Trump it bodes ill for a contentious meeting.
I really hope that most are offended by the precedent Barr and the Trump admin is setting and stand up for our system of justice. What they are doing now is corruption of the justice system at the highest levels.
malaise
(269,038 posts)but I think we can still rely on the judiciary in most representative democracies
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)before they would protect Trump.
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)...whatever it is, it's pretty big.
elleng
(130,964 posts)alwaysinasnit
(5,066 posts)Any thoughts?
malaise
(269,038 posts)Judges can be impeached - more can be forced to resign when their scandals are exposed and these under-qualified incompetents will fall like rain in a hurricane. Let MoscowMitch think he's winning.
Justice is coming!
alwaysinasnit
(5,066 posts)Evolve Dammit
(16,736 posts)And posts like this are why you got so many hearts last week!
WELL-deserved!!!
malaise
(269,038 posts)be associated with the Federalist society.
ramen
(790 posts)I hope we all live to see it.
Volaris
(10,272 posts)OAITW r.2.0
(24,504 posts)The Republicans failed to do their constitutional responsibilities.
Things really seem to be coming to a head. I am thinking that Barr is going to announce his resignation soon and hope he can convince his peers that he really was acting principled in issuing his judgments.
<Good luck with that>
hangaleft
(649 posts)I dont see Barr resigning soon. Or ever.
2naSalit
(86,646 posts)Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)...the group of more than 1,000 federal jurists...
NO MERCY
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)elleng
(130,964 posts)sheshe2
(83,786 posts)Lock him up.
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)Delicious!
sheshe2
(83,786 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)brewens
(13,590 posts)this and hammer out some tweets!
paleotn
(17,930 posts)sakabatou
(42,152 posts)They would hate it if they had to confess what they did was wrong.
Raven
(13,893 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)For centuries, the United States hasn't known how to work its government. Donald Trump is here to finally clue us all in on how we've been doing it wrong all these years.
Evolve Dammit
(16,736 posts)dalton99a
(81,515 posts)TNNurse
(6,927 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,349 posts)MFM008
(19,814 posts)so he thinks hes ok..........................
elleng
(130,964 posts)The Blue Flower
(5,442 posts)It's about the track record since he auditioned for the post. The Stone thing was the last straw.
bronxiteforever
(9,287 posts)are this concerned. Wow.
Wounded Bear
(58,662 posts)His hero, Erdogan fired a lot of judges in Turkey. Thank god our system does not allow that here.
Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)He thought his performance last week would be enough to smooth things over long enough to let the Stone matter disappear. Not anymore. He might not be able to cork this bottle with anything but a resignation at this point.
OMGWTF
(3,957 posts)Lonestarblue
(10,011 posts)Given the form attorneys letter and now the judges meeting, it seems logical that they would hold hearings on the improper abuse of the legal system by Trump and Barr.
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)...even though the DoJ problem is part of the Executive branch (and falls under congressional oversight). If judges and internal DoJ types can't sort this out, they'll *have* to do something.
Mr. Ected
(9,670 posts)Disbar Barr the Barbarian.
Slitting Lady Liberty's throat in broad daylight with an audience of 327 million.
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,414 posts)There is a lot of legal f**kery going on now with Barr and Trump that needs to be addressed:
1. Stone's sentencing guidelines being abruptly revised after Trump's tweeting, obviously (this can't have been some kind of coincidence and there was no motivation for it other than by Trump)
2. Trump and Fox News personally attacking a Jury Foreman in the Stone trial for "bias"
3. Barr prohibiting investigations of presidential candidates without his explicit approval (I don't think it's hard to imagine which ones he'll approve of and which ones he won't).
spanone
(135,844 posts)SunSeeker
(51,569 posts)warmfeet
(3,321 posts)to weigh-in.
Authoritarianism, Despotism, Fascism or, perhaps Democracy; your choice.
Ism's are not my choice. I prefer Ocracy.
The other ones are just crazy, and difficult to live through.
Dem Ocracies are fine by me.
llmart
(15,540 posts)This cannot stand in a democracy. "Crisis mode" for sure.
triron
(22,006 posts)Let's have a work stoppage. Students need to walk out.
Jarqui
(10,126 posts)If they don't spring these co-criminals, Stone, Flynn, etc can rat them out.
If Trump pardons them, he has to fear the Gerald Ford pardoning Nixon effect.
Trump & Barr know they can't be impeached so rather than a mere thumb on the scale of justice, they figure they can use a jackhammer to keep Stone, Flynn et all quiet.
vlyons
(10,252 posts)Will be interesting to see if as a group, they call for his resignation.
rickford66
(5,524 posts)mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)And in a way, he's kinda right about that.
Esp. with MoscowMitch in his back pocket.
Chemisse
(30,813 posts)I had expected the typical 'roll over like a whipped puppy' reaction.
crickets
(25,981 posts)BlueWI
(1,736 posts)The horse is out of the barn and deep in the woods. Should have checked the latch before this.
triron
(22,006 posts)Vivienne235729
(3,384 posts)duforsure
(11,885 posts)Trying to destroy the rule of law , and our Democracy while fixing investigations, and elections from abuse of their powers, and will not stand for the corrupting of our country by them both. They both should be going to prison for this now, and 1 will go I think for sure, while the other one escapes justice again .
bitterross
(4,066 posts)If I were the judge on the Stone case, I'd stay within the guidelines, but I'd use the max or close to it. Just to send message that this BS will not be tolerated!