Vacation
July 13, 2009
Dr. Iorg is on vacation. His column will resume in August 2009.
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Ninth Circus Court
July 6, 2009
On the weekend we celebrated our nation’s independence as a bastion of freedom and moral strength, the following news was released about Alex Kozinski, the chief judge of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Kozinski was rebuked, but not otherwise disciplined for sexually explicit material posted on his private web site. An eleven judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said he showed “poor judgment” in possessing the material and failing to keep it private.
What earned the judge this tepid rebuke? According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the photos included images of masturbation, a slide-show striptease, and two naked women on all fours painted as cows.
Yes, you read that right – “painted as cows.” The chief judge of the largest appellate circuit in the nation was “rebuked” for having a personal pornographic web site featuring masturbation and demeaning women. No further action beyond this slap on the wrist was deemed appropriate and Judge Kozinski will continue his leadership role on the court.
A federal judge has pornography on his personal web site. Another court criticizes his behavior but finds him fit for continued service. How can this be? A judge, by definition, is a person who is supposed to make “good judgments.” This story helps us understand the kind of rulings frequently made by the Ninth Circuit Court. They are led by a judge who lacks the capacity to make good judgments about moral behavior. Never mind his views of women - seeing them as cows for sexual stimulation – which should (but probably won’t) elicit strong protest from the feminist movement.
This judge is unfit for his current leadership role. Case closed.
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