Justice orders ethics probe in light of Scalia-Cheney hunting trip

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has ordered a study of federal judicial ethics, a move that follows intense criticism of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia for taking a hunting trip with his friend, Vice President Dick Cheney.

A six-member committee appointed by Rehnquist will begin meeting next month, about the time the Supreme Court is expected to rule in a case involving Cheney that generated much of the criticism. Rehnquist named Justice Stephen Breyer, a Clinton appointee, to chair the panel.

Supreme Court justices decide for themselves if they have conflicts of interest, and their decisions are final. Separately, a law allows complaints to be lodged alleging federal judges have engaged in "conduct prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts."

House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., told judicial leaders at a private meeting this spring that they were not adequately disciplining their colleagues.

http://courttv.com/news/2004/0526/probe_ap.html

About freakin' time!!!! Let's hope this isn't whitewashed.

That should be a given.

They did seem to be playing the arrogant "we can't hear you" card (as in the court is just to Supreme to be bothered with such plebian concerns.)

even with a Breyer Chair is by definition a whitewash, who knows why they are even bothering to do this. This will only impress the converted.

As a country, we have come to demand more than just the APPEARANCES of "study" or "inquiries" or even "investigations" -- can we get truthful results and thoughtful implementations? I, for one, will give a moment's benefit of the doubt, but then, they gotta SHOW me ............

If Cheney were going to lose, or win by a wide margin, what's the point of going through the process of deciding if Scalia's vote should count?

This court is so discredited by Bush v Gore it will do more damage for Cheney to win in a 5-4 decision when he's been taking his boy, Scalia, on trips!

at best a coin toss.
Of course there is a conflict of interest.!!

So stuff it up an orifice, Rehnquist.

May you never sleep for the choking sensation of drowning in American blood.

Way to make the inquiry irrelevant, assholes. You should've done this WHEN THE TRIP FIRST HAPPENED, and BEFORE Cheney's case went before the court.

Sickening.

Why even convene this commission? Is Rehnquist that stupid (in which case he's incompetent to serve in his present post and should be removed), or does he think we're that stupid (in which case, uhhhh, ditto)?

My concern is that the committee will wind up recommending discipline not against Scalia but rather against judges who are fair (ie not molded in the model of Scalia). Consider that the push for the committee comes from Sensenbrenner.