Which posters would you appoint to the Supreme Court?

[Nym90]

I think Emsworth should analyze everyone's picks...

Having nothing better to do during the Summer, I should be able to do so (not all right now, of course). I'll start with Wildcard, since he specifically asked.

Cheif Justice: John D. Ford

Assistant Judges
Dazzleman
A18
PBrunsel
Emsworth
JFK
Gabu
John Dibble
Nym90

There appear to be one populist (Ford), two conservatives (Dazzleman and PBrunsel), two liberals (Gabu and Nym90), and four libertarians (A18, Emsworth, JFK, and John Dibble). Gabu could perhaps also fit in the libertarian category, but I think that he's more of a libertarian-leaning liberal.

On economic issues, the conservative side clearly has an advantage: the conservative majority could be 6-3 or 7-2, depending on Gabu's votes.

On social issues, there appears to be a slight liberal majority. I would expect A18, opposed as he is to incorporation, to side with Ford, Dazzleman, and PBrunsel on such issues most of the time. Gabu, Nym90, JFK, Dibble, and I would probably have a liberal voting record most of the time on these issues. At the same time, it seems likely that one of us would defect to the other side from time to time. Thus, there would probably be quite a few 5-4 splits.

Gun rights are safe, as is early term abortion. However, Gabu might become a swing voter in late-term abortion cases. I don't know enough about Nym's views on abortion to say if he would be a swing voter as well. Thus, I would expect decisions like Stenberg v. Carhart to be struck down.

I don't believe that there is a single key swing vote, especially given the conservative bent of the bench on economic issues. I expect that A18 and I will have conflicting opinions in many a case.

On abortion, I am personally pro-choice, but support restrictions, especially on late term abortion. I feel that once the fetus reaches the point at which it could theoretically survive outside the womb (at roughly about 20 weeks or so, I believe), it achieves a different status than it had previously, and should have the right to live unless the mother's life is in jeopardy.

I'm really pro-choice more for practical reasons than for moral reasons. The best way to reduce abortion is to reduce poverty; throwing people in prison will have little or no beneficial effect, I feel. I certainly oppose abortion on moral grounds, but I feel that the choice should be up to the mother up to about 5 months. I certainly would have no problem with requirements that she be educated about the alternatives, however, and would in fact encourage them.