'The unvarnished truth about Rehnquist'
This was a chief justice of the Supreme Court who dissented in last year's 5-4 ruling in favor of a paraplegic who sued the state of Tennessee for courtroom access. The man dragged himself up 24 stairs for a traffic violation hearing because the court had no elevator. When he did not show up for a second appearance, saying he was humiliated by crawling up the stairs, he was arrested.
Rehnquist was not impressed by the man's plight. "A violation of due process occurs only when a person is actually denied the constitutional right to access a given judicial proceeding," Rehnquist wrote. Translated, it is not enough that a man could not walk up the stairs. There must be evidence that Bull Connor was at the door to beat him back down.
2. He was a junkie. From Slate:
Chief Justice Rehnquist's Drug Habit
The man in full.
And for the nine years between 1972 and the end of 1981, William Rehnquist consumed great quantities of the potent sedative-hypnotic Placidyl. So great was Rehnquist's Placidyl habit, dependency, or addiction—depending on how you regard long-term drug use—that by the last quarter of 1981 he began slurring his speech in public, became tongue-tied while pronouncing long words, and sometimes had trouble finishing his thoughts.
3. He harassed black and Hispanic voters at polling places in Arizona. From Justice Watch:
Harassed minority voters in Arizona.
Several witnesses have stated under oath that Justice Rehnquist harassed minority voters during the early 1960's. Justice Rehnquist denies he harassed minority voters. James Brosnahan, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Phoenix from 1961 to 1963, said in a statement delivered to Congress that on election day in 1962, he and several assistant U.S. attorneys were assigned the task of receiving complaints alleging illegal interference with the voting process. The group received several complaints from precincts in South Phoenix. The precincts were predominately black and Hispanic. The complaints involved Justice Rehnquist. Broshnahan visited one of the precincts. When he arrived he saw Justice Rehnquist. There were reports that poll watchers had to physically push Rehnquist out of polling places to stop him from interfering with the voting rights of the minority citizens.
In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.
H. L. Mencken
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