Supreme Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett expresses concern that the public may increasingly see the court as a partisan institution
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Supreme Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett expressed concern on Sunday that the public could increasingly see the court as a partisan institution.
Judges need to be “hyper vigilant to make sure they don’t let personal prejudice get into their decisions, because judges are people too,” Barrett said at a conference hosted by the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville .
Presented by Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who founded the center and played a key role in its confirmation in the last days of the Trump administration, Barrett spoke at length about his desire for others to see the Supreme Court as a supporter.
Barrett said the fact that the media reports on opinions does not capture the deliberative process for making those decisions. And he insisted that “judicial philosophies are not the same as political parties.”
“To say that the court’s reasoning is flawed is different from saying that the court is acting in a partisan manner,” said Barrett, whose confirmation left the seat open for the death of Liberal Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg consolidated the conservative control of the court. “I think we need to evaluate what the court does according to its own conditions.”
Barrett’s comments followed a high-profile decision earlier this month in which the court by a 5-4 vote declined to intervene to prevent a Texas law banning most abortions from coming into force, which went provoking the outrage of abortion rights groups and President Joe Biden.
Barrett was asked about this decision by students who submitted questions in advance and was also asked about another recent court decision in which he refused to block a lower court ruling ordering the Biden administration to reinstate a Trump-era program informally known as Remain in Mexico. . Barrett said it would be “inappropriate” to comment on specific cases.
Several supporters of abortion rights demonstrated outside the Seelbach hotel, where the private event was held.
Barrett, 49, also spoke of his introduction to court amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying “it’s definitely a different experience.” The court has been hearing arguments over the phone for more than a year, although it recently announced a return to the courtroom in October.
Barrett described the court as a “warm, collegiate place.” She said that after confirming it, a companion brought Halloween candy for her children. The first mother of school-age children in the nine-member court also spoke about the balance between her work and family life.
“I have an important job, but I’m certainly no more important than anyone in the grocery shopping line,” said Barrett, who described how his relationship with his children (who are not “especially impressed” with her high-profile post) helps her stay in her “regular life,” where she is busy “driving carpools, organizing birthday parties, and tidying up.”
When asked what advice she would give to young women who would like to pursue a career in public service, justice said she would like young women to know that it is possible to start a family and be successful.
Barrett was confirmed by the Senate in a 52-48 vote last year, just over a month after Ginsburg’s death.
Democrats opposed his candidacy, arguing that the process was rushed and that the winner of the 2020 presidential election should have been able to choose Ginsburg’s replacement. McConnell’s decision to move forward with Barrett’s nomination contrasted with the position he took in 2016, when he refused to consider President Barack Obama’s option to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Judge Antonin. Scalia in February of that year. McConnell blocked the hearings of then-Judge Merrick Garland, now Biden’s attorney general, saying the election should be left to voters in an election year.
The conference was held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the McConnell Center. Founded in 1991, the nonpartisan center offers educational and scholarship opportunities to students at the University of Louisville. Three other Supreme Court judges, most recently Judge Neil Gorsuch, have spoken at the center.
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Hudspeth Blackburn is a member of the body of The Associated Press / Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a national nonprofit services program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on covert issues.