SCOTUS Commission (and other stuff happens)

As we wait for the final opinions of the term, the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States had four sets of panels to dicuss various subjects. Many of them also provided written testimony.

A couple listed didn't show up -- one had a conflict; Charles Fried is listed but that appears to be an error or decided not to take part.  There is a lot of interesting stuff in the written testimony, including providing international perspectives. There was wide support of term limits from multiple participants.  Some were open to things like having a congressional override of the Supreme Court.  None supported expansion from what I can tell.   Some of the material covered was somewhat technical if important.  

I don't know what this all will add, but again, it seems to me to provide a helpful educative function that promotes public conversation and media coverage.  It also reminds that merely citing court expansion (which gets much of the attention) undersells the various issues involved.  

Meanwhile, we have more Biden judicial nominees.

Authorities say John Hummel stabbed his wife, Joy Hummel, more than thirty times in December 2009. He then used a baseball bat to beat to death his daughter, Jodi Hummel, and his 57-year-old father-in-law, Clyde Bedford, who used a wheelchair. He then set their home on fire in Kennedale, a Fort Worth suburb.

We usually have wait on the scheduled day of execution when we wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide what to do with final appeals. Sometimes, we get a statement or dissent, often from Justice Sotomayor. And, we get a standard order simply denying the final appeal or appeals, usually without comment. 

This time, the lawyer did not have any final appeals, deciding past appeals covered all the ground.  The execution was scheduled last year but was delayed because of COVID.  Various legal concerns were flagged, including determinations of future dangerousness. But, bottom line, what is the value of execution?  

The article flags a family member/victim says she will not have "closure" from his execution.  Some victims say they will.  It is surely not a consistent thing.  Why single him out from various others who committed horrible crimes?  Public safety -- which might arise in some cases of those dangerous in prison -- seems not to be a major reason. 

The state during the last execution reportedly flubbed notifying the media so that witnesses could be on board. The state promised to not do that again.   And, they executed him.  The second state execution in 2021.

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Another thing legally related is that Bill Cosby's conviction was overturned because of prosecutor abuse.  I have seen legal minds, including those rather sympathetic about the interests of his victims, say the result was correct.  The guy that eventually helped to defend Trump during his second impeachment screwing things up seems quite possible.  And, no, not only rich and powerful types get their judgments overturned.  Others disagree with the result.  But, people I respect do agree with it. 

A basic thing here is to address sexual predators before they are senior citizens.  Some success in the general direction, including #MeToo, is occurring in recent years.  As that occurs, there will be decisions like this that will leave a bad taste in one's mouth.  But, he did not ultimately "get away with it."  He was imprisoned, shunned, and so forth.  This isn't a "he's innocent.