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Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Chief Justice Brent Dickson Stepping Down
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indiana, Brent Dickson, announced that he will be stepping down from that role by September 1, allowing time for the 7-member Judicial Nominating Commission to select from among the current sitting justices a new chief justice. Dickson will continue serving as a justice of the high court until July, 2016 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 75. Dickson became chief justice in May 2012 after Randall Shepard's retirement. He has been a member of the court since 1986. The Commission plans to meet with Justices Robert Rucker, Steven David, Mark Massa and Loretta Rush to discuss the chief justice's role at its August 6 meeting, which will be open to the public. The Commission will deliberate in executive session and announce its new choice on that same day.
So, what gives? Dickson was two years into an appointment that was to take him to retirement. Strange? Is Loretta Rush about to make Hoosier History?
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, he really stood for very little. In disciplinary matters, even a douchebag like Carl Brizzi continues to practice law with no objection whatsoever by the Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. Meanwhile, a true public servant like Paul Ogden is attacked and scapegoated by that same Supreme Court Commission for being a whistleblower who called out a miserably bad Judge, something the rest of us appreciate, but something which the Supreme Court feels obligated to hush up and punish. So they protect their own, we get it. That’s their thing. No criticizing crappy lawyers and Judges. Meanwhile, as every State in the United States moves to invalidate repressive prohibitions against same sex marriage, Indiana’s Supreme Court remains utterly silent in the face of the largest civil rights movement in 40 years. I thought Randall Shepherd was a gutless tool who viciously attacked enemies who would speak out against him. But Dickson just seems to have snored through it all. Lets see. He wanted to upgrade the Court’s technology. Okay. And he wanted to help provide pro bono legal services to the poor, which was an utter failure since everyone knows Indianapolis lawyers only care about money. Just try and get free legal care. I think the guy can retire without anyone really noticing. Too bad Indiana’s top Judges are such snoozers. The country seems poised to address really huge issues like immigration and health care and energy and gay marriage. But our Justices don’t seem interested or connected. We’re becoming Mississippi. Just a backwater State with a snoozing judiciary that really doesn’t stand for anything.
ReplyDelete"It is every American’s constitutional right to criticize, even ridicule, judges and other parti- cipants in the judicial system—and those targets must bear that burden as the price of free public discourse."
ReplyDeleteLORETTA RUSH FOR CHIEF JUSTICE. Let freedom from Shepard's "civility shackles" (ie politicall correctness on steriods) come to Indiana.
My previous comments are not a call for attorney to ridicule anyone, but to speak up in the face of injustice, and especially institutional injustice, when injustice is found. All in keeping, of course, with this admonision "5] A lawyer's conduct should conform to the requirements of the law, both in professional service to clients and in the lawyer's business and personal affairs. A lawyer should use the law's procedures only for legitimate purposes and not to harass or intimidate others. A lawyer should demonstrate respect for the legal system and for those who serve it, including judges, other lawyers and public officials. While it is a lawyer's duty, when necessary, to challenge the rectitude of official action, it is also a lawyer's duty to uphold legal process.
ReplyDelete[6] As a public citizen, a lawyer should seek improvement of the law, access to the legal system, the administration of justice and the quality of service rendered by the legal profession."