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445 Law Professors Say: By Stopping the Vote Count in Florida, The U.S. Supreme Court Used Its Power To Act as Political Partisans, Not Judges of a Court of Law We are Professors of Law at 104 American law schools, from every part of our country, of different political beliefs. But we all agree that when a bare majority of the U.S. Supreme Court halted the recount of ballots under Florida law, the five justices were acting as political proponents for candidate Bush, not as judges. It is Not the Job of a Federal Court to Stop Votes From Being Counted By stopping the recount in the middle, the five justices acted to suppress the facts. Justice Scalia argued that the justices had to interfere even before the Supreme Court heard the Bush team's arguments because the recount might "cast a cloud upon what [Bush] claims to be the legitimacy of his election." In other words, the conservative justices moved to avoid the "threat" that Americans might learn that in the recount, Gore got more votes than Bush. This was presumably "irreparable" harm because if the recount proceeded and the truth once became known, it would never again be possible to completely obscure the facts. But it is not the job of the courts to polish the image of legitimacy of the Bush presidency by preventing disturbing facts from being confirmed. Suppressing the facts to make the Bush government seem more legitimate is the job of propagandists, not judges. By taking power from the voters, the Supreme Court has tarnished its own legitimacy. As teachers whose lives have been dedicated to the rule of law, we protest. [Listing of institutional affiliation is for identification only] Stephen Gottlieb, Albany Law School Timothy D. Lytton, Albany Law School Nancy M. Maurer, Albany Law School Nancy K. Ota, Albany Law School Daniel Bradlow, American University Robert Dinerstein, American University Christine Farley, American University Binny Miller, American University Elliott S. Milstein, American University Teemu Ruskola, American University Herman Schwartz, American University Ann Shalleck, American University Brenda V. Smith, American University Leti Volpp, American University Judith E. Koons, Barry University Arthur L. Berney, Boston College Mark S. Brodin, Boston College Peter A. Donovan, Boston College Leslie Goldie Espinoza, Boston College Anthony Paul Farley, Boston College Phillis Goldfarb, Boston College Ingrid Hillinger, Boston College Ray Madoff, Boston College Zygmunt J. B. Plater, Boston College Evangeline Sarda, Boston College Catharine Wells, Boston College Elizabeth M. Schneider, Brooklyn Law School Mark A. Broida, California Western School of Law Peter M. Shane, Carnegie Mellon University Catherine F. Klein, Catholic University Ralph L Brill, Chicago Kent College of Law Joan Steinman, Chicago Kent College of Law Dan Tarlock, Chicago Kent College of Law Lori Andrews, Chicago-Kent College of Law Tim Holbrook, Chicago-Kent College of Law Molly Lien, Chicago-Kent College of Law Sheldon Nahmod, Chicago-Kent College of Law David S. Rudstein, Chicago-Kent College of Law Richard W. Wright, Chicago-Kent College of Law Frank E. Deale, City University of New York Beryl Blaustone, City University of New York Janet M. Calvo , City University of New York Pamela Edwards, City University of New York Ellen Mosen James, City University of New York Maivân Clech Lâm, City University of New York Ruthann Robson, City University of New York Merrick T. Rossein, City University of New York Thomas D. Buckley, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Michael H. Davis, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Candice Hoke, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Patricia A. McCoy, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Lloyd Snyder, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Alan C. Weinstein, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Frederic White, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Ellen Chapnick, Columbia University George P. Fletcher, Columbia University Katherine Franke, Columbia University Frank P. Grad, Columbia University Alice Haemmerli, Columbia University Kendall Thomas, Columbia University Patricia J. Williams, Columbia University Kathryn Abrams, Cornell University Martha L.A. Fineman, Cornell University William A. Kell, Cornell University Raneta Lawson Mack, Creighton University Mary E. Becker, DePaul University Sally B. Frank, Drake University Jerome M. Culp, Duke University Allison Rice, Duke University Deborah W. Denno, Fordham University Michael Madison, Fordham University Frederic Neustadt, Fordham University Mark R. Patterson, Fordham University Beth G. Schwartz, Fordham University Marcella Silverman, Fordham University Kenneth Anderson, Georgetown University Michael Diamond, Georgetown University Charles R. III Lawrence, Georgetown University Naomi Mezey, Georgetown University Elizabeth H. Patterson, Georgetown University Warren Schwartz, Georgetown University Abbe Smith, Georgetown University Girardeau A. Spann, Georgetown University Michael Landau, Georgia State University Jon H. Sylvester, Golden Gate University James Coben, Hamline University Robin K. Magee, Hamline University Jill Soffiyah Elijah, Harvard University Stefan H. Krieger, Hofstra University Spencer H. Boyer, Howard University Lisa A. Crooms, Howard University Steven D. Jamar, Howard University Warner Lawson, Jr., Howard University Michael deHaven Newsom, Howard University Jeannine Bell, Indiana University Cathy E. Crosson, Indiana University Colleen Kristl Pauwels, Indiana University Gene R. Shreve, Indiana University Earl R.C. Singleton, Indiana University Kenneth Kandaras, John Marshall Law School Paula Kaldis Dickinson, Massachusetts School of Law Andrej Thomas Starkis, Massachusetts School of Law Ilene Klein, New England Arthur S. Leonard, New York Law School Carlin Meyer, New York Law School Denise C. Morgan, New York Law School Rudolph J.R. Peritz, New York Law School Tanina Rostain, New York Law School Richard K. Sherwin, New York Law School Derrick Bell, New York University Holly Maguigan, New York University Diane Zimmerman, New York University Amy E. Berger, Northwestern University Cynthia Grant Bowman, Northwestern University Joyce A. Hughes, Northwestern University Barry McNamara, Northwestern University Annelise Riles, Northwestern University Ora Schub, Northwestern University Carole Silver, Northwestern University Cathryn E. Stewart, Northwestern University Charles Wilson, Ohio State University Linda Fentiman, Pace University Vanessa Merton, Pace University Paul O'Neil, Pace University Richard Ottinger, Pace University Ralph Michael Stein, Pace University Frank Askin, Rutgers University Alan Hyde, Rutgers University John Leubsdorf, Rutgers University James Pope, Rutgers University Ellen Kreitzberg, Santa Clara University C. Ridolfi, Santa Clara University Margaret M. Russell, Santa Clara University Melinda Branscomb, Seattle University Lisa Brodoff, Seattle University Margaret Chon, Seattle University William Galloway, Seattle University Raven Lidman, Seattle University Kellye Testy, Seattle University Ken Wing, Seattle University Michelle Adams, Seton Hall University Ahmed Bulbulia, Seton Hall University Andrew T. Solomon, South Texas College of Law Kenneth Williams, Southern Illinois University Jane Dolkart, Southern Methodist University Darren Lenard Hutchinson, Southern Methodist University Frederick C. Moss, Southern Methodist University Katherine C. Sheehan, Southwestern University Larry Joseph, St. John’s University Jeff Sovern, St. John’s University Susan Stabile, St. John’s University Charles S. Bobis, St. John's University Tanya Hernandez, St. John's University Barbara Babcock, Stanford University Joe Bankman, Stanford University William Cohen, Stanford University John J. Donohue, Stanford University Richard Thompson Ford, Stanford University Barbara Fried, Stanford University William B. Gould, Stanford University Henry T. Greely, Stanford University Mark G. Kelman, Stanford University Miguel A. Mendez, Stanford University David Mills, Stanford University Robert Rabin, Stanford University Margaret Jane Radin, Stanford University Michael Wald, Stanford University Robert Weisberg, Stanford University Robert Batey, Stetson University Dorothea Beane, Stetson University James J. Brown, Stetson University Mark R. Brown, Stetson University Ann M. Piccard, Stetson University Michael Avery, Suffolk Law School Donna E. Arzt, Syracuse University Leslie Bender, Syracuse University Angela O. Burton, Syracuse University David Driesen, Syracuse University Richard Goldsmith, Syracuse University Paula C. Johnson, Syracuse University M. Louise Lantzy, Syracuse University Steven Marchese, Syracuse University Janis L. McDonald, Syracuse University Robert J. Bartow, Temple University Susan L. DeJarnatt, Temple University Phoebe A. Haddon, Temple University Eleanor W. Myers, Temple University Eddie Ohlbaum, Temple University Martin Levy, Texas Southern University Anthony M . Dillof, Texas Wesleyan University W. Robert Gray, Texas Wesleyan University Charlotte Hughart, Texas Wesleyan University Marjorie Cohn, Thomas Jefferson School of Law Colin Crawford, Thomas Jefferson School of Law Ilene Durst, Thomas Jefferson School of Law A. Thomas Golden, Thomas Jefferson School of Law Bruce N. Morton, Touro Law Center Marjorie Silver, Touro Law Center Eileen Kaufman, Touro Law School Richard Klein, Touro Law School Carole Shapiro, Touro Law School Peter Zablotsky, Touro Law School Robert S. Westley, Tulane University Robert S. Westley, Tulane University Lauren B. Edelman, UC Berkeley Angela P. Harris, UC Berkeley Linda Krieger, UC Berkeley Christopher Kutz, UC Berkeley Ian Haney Lopez, UC Berkeley Robert P. Merges, UC Berkeley Joseph Sax, UC Berkeley Marjorie M. Shultz, UC Berkeley Norman W. Spaulding , UC Berkeley Stephanie Wildman, UC Berkeley Susan D. Christian, UC Davis Bill Ong Hing, UC Davis Evelyn A. Lewis, UC Davis David I. Levine, UC Hastings Harry G. Prince, UC Hastings Keith Wingate, UC Hastings Madhavi Sunder, UCDavis Richard L. Abel, UCLA Alison Grey Anderson, UCLA Peter Arenella, UCLA Kimberly Hall Barlow, UCLA Devon W. Carbado, UCLA Sharon Dolovich, UCLA Leon Letwin, UCLA Lynn M. LoPucki, UCLA Frances Olsen, UCLA Bill Jordan, University of Akron Brant T. Lee, University of Akron Wythe W. Holt, Jr., University of Alabama Norman J. Singer, University of Alabama Barbara Babb, University of Baltimore Richard W. Bourne, University of Baltimore Robert H. Lande, University of Baltimore Kenneth Lassion, University of Baltimore Jonathan C. Lipson, University of Baltimore Odeana R. Neal, University of Baltimore Craig B. Futterman, University of Chicago Randall D. Schmidt, University of Chicago Gabriel Chin, University of Cincinnati Marianne Wesson, University of Colorado Thomas Morawetz, University of Connecticut Jeremy Paul, University of Connecticut Robert A. Kreiss, University of Dayton Vernellia Randall, University of Dayton Richard Saphire, University of Dayton Andrea M. Seielstad, University of Dayton Allen Sultan, University of Dayton Tami Cowden, University of Denver George Dawson, University of Florida Berta Esperanza Hernandez-Truyol, University of Florida Kenneth Nunn, University of Florida Juan F. Perea, University of Florida Milner S. Ball, University of Georgia Francis A. Boyle, University of Illinois Patrick B. Bauer, University of Iowa Stephen J. Burton, University of Iowa Robert N. Clinton, University of Iowa Burns H. Weston, University of Iowa David J. Gottlieb, University of Kansas Judith D. Fischer, University of Louisville Samuel A. Marcosson, University of Louisville Judy Potter, University of Maine Michael Fischl, University of Miama David Abraham, University of Miami Donna Coker, University of Miami Clark Freshman, University of Miami Lili Levi, University of Miami Martha Mahoney, University of Miami Layman Allen, University of Michigan David Chambers, University of Michigan Kenneth Chestek, University of Michigan Alyson Cole, University of Michigan Don Duquette, University of Michigan Sam Gross, University of Michigan James C. Hathaway, University of Michigan Richard Lempert, University of Michigan Roberta J. Morris, University of Michigan Paul D. Reingold, University of Michigan Terrance Sandalow, University of Michigan Suellyn Scarnechhia, University of Michigan Frank E. Vandervort, University of Michigan Christina B. Whitman, University of Michigan Beverly Balos, University of Minnesota Ann M. Burkhart, University of Minnesota Mary Louise Fellows, University of Minnesota Maury Landsman, University of Minnesota Richard L. Barnes, University of Mississippi Edwin T. Hook, University of Missouri-Kansas City Nancy Levit, University of Missouri-Kansas City Robert R.M. Verchick, University of Missouri-Kansas City Raquel Aldana-Pindell, University of Nevada Las Vegas Jennifer B. Anderson, University of Nevada Las Vegas Kay P. Kindred, University of Nevada Las Vegas Terrill Pollman, University of Nevada Las Vegas Sherri Burr, University of New Mexico Denise D. Fort, University of New Mexico Richard A Gonzales, University of New Mexico M. Faye Hadley, University of New Mexico Scott H. Hughes, University of New Mexico Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, University of New Mexico Margaret Montoya, University of New Mexico Walker Blakey, University of North Carolina Adrienne D. Davis, University of North Carolina Joseph R. Kalo, University of North Carolina Gene R. Nichol, University of North Carolina Richard Rosen, University of North Carolina William Turnier, University of North Carolina A. Mark Weisburd, University of North Carolina Deborah M. Weissman, University of North Carolina Judith Fox, University of Notre Dame Conrad Kellenberg, University of Notre Dame Sandra S. Klein, University of Notre Dame James H. Seckinger, University of Notre Dame Thomas L. Shaffer, University of Notre Dame J. Eric Smithburn, University of Notre Dame Barbara Bader Aldave, University of Oregon Keith Aoki, University of Oregon Michael Axline, University of Oregon John E. Bonine, University of Oregon Garrett Epps, University of Oregon Caroline Forell, University of Oregon Ibrahim Gassama, University of Oregon Ralph James Mooney, University of Oregon James M. O’Fallon, University of Oregon Dominick Vetri, University of Oregon Mary Christina Wood, University of Oregon C. Edwin Baker, University of Pennsylvania Howard Chang, University of Pennsylvania Samuel Freeman, University of Pennsylvania Valerie Hans, University of Pennsylvania Howard Lesnick, University of Pennsylvania Richard G. Lonsdorf, University of Pennsylvania David Rudovsky, University of Pennsylvania Deborah L. Brake, University of Pittsburgh Thomas Buchele, University of Pittsburgh John M. Burkoff, University of Pittsburgh Marvein Fein, University of Pittsburgh Lawrence A. Frolik, University of Pittsburgh Anthony C. Infanti, University of Pittsburgh Jules Lobel, University of Pittsburgh William V. Luneburg, University of Pittsburgh Alan Meisel, University of Pittsburgh Ann Sinsheimer, University of Pittsburgh Rhonda Wasserman, University of Pittsburgh Joshua P. Davis, University of San Francisco John Denvir, University of San Francisco Susan Freiwald, University of San Francisco Sharon Meadows, University of San Francisco Suzanne Mounts, University of San Francisco Steven F. Shatz, University of San Francisco Frederick Tung, University of San Francisco Carol Wilson, University of San Francisco Alexander Morgan Capron, University of Southern California Mary L. Dudziak, University of Southern California Ariela Gross, University of Southern California Greg Keating, University of Southern California Karen A. Lash, University of Southern California Denise Meyer, University of Southern California Rob Saltzman, University of Southern California Dan Simon, University of Southern California W. David Slawson, University of Southern California David A. Anderson, University of Texas Mitchell Berman, University of Texas Sarah Cleveland, University of Texas Joseph M. Dodge, University of Texas Robert W. Hamilton, University of Texas Patricia Hansen, University of Texas J. Patrick Hazel, University of Texas Calvin Johnson, University of Texas Susan R. Klein, University of Texas Sanford Levinson, University of Texas Richard S. Markovits, University of Texas Inga Markovits, University of Texas Thomas O. McGarrity, University of Texas Neil Netanel, University of Texas Charles Silver, University of Texas Louise Weinberg, University of Texas Zipporah Batshaw Wiseman, University of Texas David W. Miller, University of the Pacific (McGeorge) Mary-Beth Moylan, University of the Pacific (McGeorge) David T. Sammond, University of the Pacific (McGeorge) Michael Vitiello, University of the Pacific (McGeorge) Phil Wile, University of the Pacific (McGeorge) Marguerite Chapman, University of Tulsa Linda Lacey, University of Tulsa Kathleen Waits, University of Tulsa Richard I. Aaron, University of Utah Leslie Francis, University of Utah Terry S. Kogan, University of Utah Juliet M. Brodie, University of Wisconsin Nina L. Camic, University of Wisconsin Margaret Danielson, University of Wisconsin Leonard V. Kaplan, University of Wisconsin Stephen Meili, University of Wisconsin John Pray, University of Wisconsin Joel Rogers, University of Wisconsin Jane Schacter, University of Wisconsin David S. Schwartz, University of Wisconsin Frank M. Tuerkheimer, University of Wisconsin William C. Whitford, University of Wisconsin Rebecca L. Brown, Vanderbilt University Steven Hetcher, Vanderbilt University Suzanna Sherry, Vanderbilt University Martha L. Judy, Vermont Law School Laurie Kadoch, Vermont Law School James C. May, Vermont Law School Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law School Belinda Sifford, Vermont Law School Joan Vogel, Vermont Law School Maryann Zavez, Vermont Law School Frank Rudy Cooper, Villanova University Mark A. Hall, Wake Forest University Michael Perry, Wake Forest University Thomas E Roberts, Wake Forest University Darryl K. Brown, Washington & Lee University Louise Halper, Washington & Lee University Jane H. Aiken, Washington University William Burnham, Wayne State University Zanita Fenton, Wayne State University Robert Bastress, West Virginia University Jim Friedberg, West Virginia University Judith A.M. Scully, West Virginia University Leslie V. Dery, Western State University Alicia B. Kelly, Western State University Glenn S. Koppel, Western State University Kristian Miccio, Western State University Michael Hunter Schwartz, Western State University Greg Sergienko, Western State University Edith R. Wakkentine, Western State University Mary Ellen Gale, Whittier Law School Kathy T. Graham, Willamette University M. H. Sam Jacobson, Willamette University Jennifer L. Wright, Willamette University Donna M. Byrne, William Mitchell College Peter Erlinder, William Mitchell College Robert W. Gordon, Yale University Stephen Wizner, Yale University Toby Golick, Yeshiva University Ellen Yaroshefsky, Yeshiva University If you are a law professor and wish to add your name to this list, please send an email to: lawprofs@the-rule-of-law.com or mradin@stanford.edu
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