Supreme Court, start your engines

Judge orders the Ventura County Star not to publish a murder case story:

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/dec/11/judge-blocks-murder-case-story/

If it were ever to get this far, it should be very interesting to see how the court of Roberts and Alito, joining Thomas and Scalia, handle this one.

Frightening in a way.

Not as frightening, of course, as it would have been for us with McCain appointing the justices. If anyone in the country can't wait until Jan. 21, it's John Paul Stevens.

 

So why doesn't the paper publish the story anyway?

 

That's what I was thinking.

 

What about not exercising prior restraint except in extreme circumstances?

I guess precedent doesn't matter anymore.

 

Had a somewhat similar situation happen here a few years ago.
Man ...

It's bullshit if - as the story claims - a local radio station has already broadcast the same info the paper is seeking to print.

 

It doesn't. I swear that stare decisis only matters when the judge deciding the case is politically aligned with the prior outcome.

 

I guarantee this thing is 5-4 if it ever gets to Washington. Guarantee it.

 

A judge making a ruling for political reasons? The hell you say! ;D

 

Shocking, I know.

And before Hondo and Old_Tony and the crew flood the thread, seven current justices were appointed by Republican presidents.

 

I mean, what would the judge do? Have the publisher arrested?

 

For most papers, that's a win-win.

 

Someone probably would. And then you begin appealing it until Anthony Kennedy saves you from Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Nino Scalia.