9th Circuit Judge Reinhardt Unfazed by Supreme Court Criticism
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals took another beating from the U.S. Supreme Court this past term, but one of its frequently reversed judges is unfazed by the criticsm.
The U.S. Supreme Court considered 26 appeals from the San Francisco-based appeals court, and reversed or vacated the decisions in 19 cases, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 79 percent reversal rate is not out of line with past records, nor is it the highest reversal rate among the circuits. The Supreme Court reversed five of six cases from the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit, and four of five cases from the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit, resulting in reversal rates of 83 percent and 80 percent respectively, the newspaper says in a chart that cites SCOTUSblog statistics.
In 12 cases, the 9th Circuit reversals were unanimous. Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote three of those reversed opinions. Past coverage suggested the Supreme Court intended to send a message to Reinhardt, viewed as possibly the country’s most liberal jurist.
Reinhardt told the Los Angeles Times he didn’t feel singled out because the justices often use strong words to express disagreement, even when they are disagreeing with each other.
“If anything, it’s a compliment. I get treated like the others on the [Supreme] Court,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “If you follow the law the way it is, before they change it, you’re going to get reversed.”
Hat tip to How Appealing.
Prior coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “High Court ‘in Scold Mode’ in 9th Circuit Reversals; Was There a Message for Reinhardt?”
