The reputation of the Supreme Court flowed quickly down the drain in 2023 as more reports detailed the scandalous breach of ethics unfolding at the High Court. The final report of the year from Chief Justice John Roberts left out mounting questions for the top judiciary and problems about whether the body is too far gone to repair its image.
Washington Post columnist Ann E. Marimow wrote Sunday that the yearly report from Roberts left out a lot, and it's not going to help as the Court enters 2024.
"Instead, he looked back on technological advancements in the nation’s court system, detailing developments from the quill pens used by justices in the 19th century to electronic databases of the 1980s to online trial proceedings prompted by the coronavirus pandemic," wrote Marimow.
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While Roberts rambled on about artificial intelligence, he refused to acknowledge the elephant in the room.
"Public approval of the Supreme Court remains at historically low levels, reflecting a dip that followed its 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the nationwide right to abortion," said Marimow.
Meanwhile, Justice Clarence Thomas has been destroyed publicly after he was exposed for accepting benefits for his mother, his adopted nephew, his wife and luxury travel, all from a single super-wealthy Republican donor with at least one case before him.
What Roberts did do in 2023 was craft a formal code of conduct, though it does little to address the issue at hand and protect the integrity and impartiality of the Court.
"The policy was praised by some as a positive initial step, but criticized by legal ethics experts for giving the justices too much discretion over recusal decisions and for not including a process for holding the justices accountable if they violate their own rules," wrote Marimow.
In 2024, the Court will be forced to decide on so-called "absolute immunity" for the president and whether the ruling of the Colorado Supreme Court should be upheld for kicking Donald Trump off the ballot. It happens at a time when there are calls for Justice Thomas to recuse himself after his wife participated in efforts to overthrow the 2020 election and encouraged state lawmakers to invalidate the count.
"Roberts did not mention that this time last year the court was finishing its investigation into the shocking leak of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s draft opinion that eventually overturned a half-century of abortion rights," recalled Marimow. "The court’s investigative report released last January did not determine the identity of the leaker."
It also ignored the fact that Alito himself wasn't investigated.
"While the court’s IT experts did not rule out a hack, the report said there was no evidence to suggest improper access to the court’s IT networks," closed Marimow.