Justice Ginsburg Joins Justice Steigmann in Diminishing Respect for Courts

Justice Ginsburg’s recent volley of verbal attacks on Donald Trump probably felt good in the moment—but they permanently impair her effectiveness going forward as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. For Illinois citizens, the same goes for Justice Robert Steigmann (below, right), who took to the airwaves on WDWS in May to say that judges should not be “philosophical or political eunuchs.” With approval ratings for Congress at about 10%-- and widespread disdain for the Illinois General Assembly— respect for our increasingly politicized courts will fall. Why should we care? Lawmakers and governors and a president cannot imprison us; they cannot fine us; they cannot hold us in contempt; they cannot order us to keep away from people … only judges hold these awesome powers. No thanks to Justice Ginsburg and Justice Steigmann for cheapening justice and lowering our confidence in our courts.