By Quin Hillyer at Liberty Headlines;
The best way to assess potential nominees for the Supreme Court is not to analyze which “side” or “issue position” each nominee has taken, but to see how they approach the law — how they reason and write — in real cases as appellate judges.
By that light, Judge Raymond Kethledge of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals stands out for showing the most clear, concise, persuasive writing among the five reported “finalists” on President Trump’s list of distinguished constitutional conservatives.
And if Trump wants to expand the list again to include two of his finalists from last year, Judge William Pryor of the 11th Circuit is particularly lucid and Judge Diane Sykes of the 7th Circuit writes brilliantly.
But let’s focus on Kethledge. A review of some of the judicial opinions of other finalists (with the exception of the very good Thomas Hardiman of the 3rd Circuit) left me slightly underwhelmed. Kethledge, on the contrary, wrote in vivid, direct prose, with a constitutionally sound logic, that was a joy to read.
Far too many judges endlessly complicate their decisions, writing massive, almost indecipherable tomes — but not Kethledge. Without leaving questions unanswered, he gets right to the point and makes his point stick…..
