by Louise Annarino, J.D., former attorney at Legal Aid Society of Columbus, Ohio ; Former Associate Director of Legal Affairs at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio; former Assistant Attorney General of the State of Ohio; now retired from the practice of law.
Both Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have engaged in insurrectionist activities, or at very least the appearance of their support of it ; not simply by ignoring and thus supporting calls to state legislators to create false electors ( Thomas’ wife Ginny) and by flying insurrectionist flag on his front lawn (Alito), but by refusing to rule in a timely fashion on issues surrounding attempts to overturn the 2020 election, impeding the resolution and manipulating the outcome contrary to procedural and substantive precedent. Both have also undermined the required judicial impartiality by ruling on cases of “friends” supplying them with expensive gifts and trips.
Chief John Roberts has failed to stop such breach of legal ethics. It is time for Congress to impeach Alito and Thomas. The Republican members who support the insurrectionists and its leader, including Rep. Johnson will, of course block any such effort to save the Court and its integrity. They have time only to go to NY and attack the legal process in the criminal trial of the ex-president, lending their public support to the defendant. Republicans are relying on Alito to block any effort to hold Mr. Trump accountable.
It is time for the National Bar Association, and every local and state bar association to step up and abide by the oaths their members took to uphold the constitution and laws of every state and the United States of America. And, to uphold the legal ethics these members agreed to follow before they be allowed to appear before the bench and plead a case. Surely, every lawyer recognizes the need to do so. Why are the lawyers of this country remaining silent in the face of efforts to destroy the rule of law at every level of adjudication?
It is time for lawyers to join together and save the legal Justice system in this country.
annarino writes 