Cheney and Scalia sittin in a tree

H-U-N-T-I-N-G:

Vice President Dick Cheney and Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia spent part of last week duck hunting at a private camp
in southern Louisiana, three weeks after the Supreme Court had agreed
to take up the vice president's appeal in lawsuits over his handling of
the administration's energy task force. While Scalia and Cheney are
avid hunters and longtime friends, several legal ethics specialists
questioned the timing of their trip, and said it raised doubts about
Scalia's ability to judge the case impartially.
Scalia said Friday: "I do not think my impartiality could reasonably be
questioned."
Federal law says: "Any justice or judge shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might be questioned."
For almost three years, Cheney has been fighting demands that he reveal
whether he met with energy industry officials, including the chairman
of Enron at the time, Kenneth L. Lay, when Cheney was formulating the
president's energy policy.
A lower court has ruled that Cheney must turn over documents detailing
who met with his task force, but on Dec. 15, the Supreme Court
announced it would hear an appeal. The justices are due to hear
arguments in April "in re Richard B. Cheney."
[...]
The code of conduct for federal judges sets guidelines for members of
the judiciary, but it does not set clear-cut rules. "A judge should . .
. act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the
integrity and impartiality of the judiciary," it says. "A judge should
not allow family, social or other relationships to influence judicial
conduct or judgments . . . or permit others to convey the impression
that they are in a special position to influence the judge."

Posted by flow Frazao on January 18, 2004 at 03:05 PM | Permalink