Curmudgeon's Corner

Dysfunctional Supreme Court?

Posted by Al Campbell on March 30, 2010

Political, Quality of Life, Wisconsin

Our state’s Supreme Court has been in the throes of internal turmoil for quite a long time.  This has stemmed, from my perspective, in the battle between liberal members and conservative members of that body.

The current dust-up involves Justice Crooks and Justice Gableman and centers on the resolution of an ethics case brought by Gabelman’s opponents.  In this latest chapter, Crooks has refused to step aside saying he will rule strictly on the merits of the case.  Gableman had requested that Crooks remove himself based on a recent opinion by Crooks that Gableman believed showed bias against Gableman.

The court is split on this issue with three believing that the court can remove a colleague and three believing that Justices do not have that power.

This is a battle between the liberals and the conservatives that now sit on the court.  The conservatives have an edge if Gableman stays on the bench.

While the Justices are supposedly apolitical so far as their personal politics, this battle shows that they are anything but apolitical.

Much of what used to be resolved in our governmental bodies based upon election results has now been moved into our court system.  This may be the result of dysfunctional legislatures, but it has certainly shown that the highest court in our state is something less than fully functional itself.

How can the citizens of Wisconsin have any faith in the findings of this court when it is so deeply enmeshed in its own internal quarrels?  Is there really a question as to bias being involved in some decisions?  I think not.