MAGA JUDGES ARE DESTROYING OUR FEDERAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM
To restore some legitimacy to the federal courts, Congress must stamp out judge-shopping, which is being used to reward Trump and invalidate Biden policies aimed at improving our lives and our country.
QUICK READ:
Quick read: The federal judiciary has been hijacked by MAGA judges and needs thoroughgoing reforms. That judge-shopping has become so easy is a manifestation of the system’s dysfunction. To restore some legitimacy to the lower federal courts requires substantially increasing the number of judgeships to relieve overcrowded dockets and curtail judge-shopping and amending the law to require random case assignment in all judicial districts.
CONTENTS:
BACKGROUND
America’s federal judicial system is severely broken, allowing a small number of MAGA judges in several states to subvert popular and necessary Biden policies.
Trump’s successful judge-shopping in Florida, and a days-later decision by a chosen Texas judge invalidating the ACA’s requirement that Christian employers provide preventive HIV care, are just the latest examples.
Other examples include:
Texas’ blatant MAGA judge-shopping blocking Biden’s 100-day pause on deportations, ordering his reinstatement of Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, stripping DHS’ authority over ICE, preventing Biden from lifting pandemic-related immigration restrictions, forcing Navy’s deployment of unvaccinated personnel
Florida Trumpist judge overturning the federal transportation mask mandate
Arkansas Trumpist judge preventing private citizens from enforcing the Voting Rights Act.
Finding MAGA judges can be easy, since random case assignment, which is preferred but not statutorily required, is not regularly practiced in those districts assigning one or several judges to each subdistrict courthouse. Since Trump appointed 30% of the federal bench, many courthouses, like Judge Cannon’s, are staffed with MAGA judges.
To restore some legitimacy to the federal courts, Congress must:
Substantially increase the number of lower court judgeships to both relieve overcrowded court dockets and curtail judge-shopping
Amend federal statutes to require random case assignment.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our federal judicial system is severely broken. To restore some legitimacy and prevent court-shopping, which allows a small number of judges to subvert popular programs, Congress must substantially increase the number of federal judgeships and amend federal statutes to require random case assignment. SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our federal judicial system is severely broken. To restore some legitimacy and prevent court-shopping, which allows a small number of judges to subvert popular programs, Congress must substantially increase the number of federal judgeships and amend federal statutes to require random case assignment.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
Our federal judicial system is severely broken. To restore some legitimacy and prevent court-shopping, which allows a small number of judges to subvert popular programs, Congress must substantially increase the number of federal judgeships and amend federal statutes to require random case assignment.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our federal judicial system is severely broken. To restore some legitimacy and prevent court-shopping, which allows a small number of judges to subvert popular programs, Congress must substantially increase the number of federal judgeships and amend federal statutes to require random case assignment.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our federal judicial system is severely broken. To restore some legitimacy and prevent court-shopping, which allows a small number of judges to subvert popular programs, Congress must substantially increase the number of federal judgeships and amend federal statutes to require random case assignment.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our federal judicial system is severely broken. To restore some legitimacy and prevent court-shopping, which allows a small number of judges to subvert popular programs, Congress must substantially increase the number of federal judgeships and amend federal statutes to require random case assignment.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our federal judicial system is severely broken. To restore some legitimacy and prevent court-shopping, which allows a small number of judges to subvert popular programs, Congress must substantially increase the number of federal judgeships and amend federal statutes to require random case assignment.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Our federal judicial system is severely broken. To restore some legitimacy and prevent court-shopping, which allows a small number of judges to subvert popular programs, Congress must substantially increase the number of federal judgeships and amend federal statutes to require random case assignment.
ACTION THREE: Good Trouble.
GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.”
Get involved with Extinction Rebellion or another group working for climate change. For more information, click here.
Fridays at 4 - Letter and Postcard Writing — Indivisible Oregon.
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday. (DELAYED THIS AUGUST. WATCH THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.)
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by electing Democrats Val Hoyle in District 4, Jamie McLeod-Skinner in District 5, and Andrea Salinas in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
FURTHER READING
Trump Went Judge Shopping and It Paid Off in Mar-a-Lago Case
A Trump judge’s appalling Mar-a-Lago order signals a grim future
How Republicans rigged Texas’s federal courts against Biden
Republicans Keep Turning to the Same Texas Judges to Block Biden’s Policies
Texas judge’s COVID mandate ruling exposes federal ‘judge-shopping’ problem
Texas Accused of Blatant Judge Shopping in Lawsuits challenging Biden Policies
Trump-y GOP judges will destroy America without radical court changes
The Solution to the Trump Judge Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About
