MS NOW welcomes letters from readers who want to respond to our journalism, add context, raise a thoughtful disagreement or share a perspective that may help other readers better understand an issue. Please review our submission guidelines. Then use this form to send us your letter.
To the editor:
Regarding Steve Benen’s Aug. 31 MaddowBlog post, “Democrats’ Clyburn backs Supreme Court expansion, as reform effort gains momentum”:
This article reported that Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., has advocated expanding the high court to 13 justices and said that “In Democratic politics, the conversation has shifted rapidly to how, not whether, to reform the Supreme Court, and as Clyburn’s on-air comments made clear, this is no longer a fringe priority.”
The Supreme Court has had the same number of justices, nine, since 1859. The last time significant changes were made to the judicial branch of government was with the Judiciary Act of 1935, which reshaped the regions the Supreme Court oversaw.
While the Supreme Court certainly needs reform, the entire federal judicial structure needs to be reevaluated. The U.S. population and the number of cases in the judicial system have both grown exponentially since 1859 (and 1935).
Advocates of reform often note that the Supreme Court hears only about 80 cases a year of the 7,000 to 8,000 petitions it receives. But the broader systemic issues should not be missed. It takes years for some cases in the federal judicial system to be resolved. This delays justice. This problem needs to be addressed.
Kathleen Stirling
Lewes, Delaware
To send a letter to the editor, review our submission guidelines and use this form.
The post Expanding the Supreme Court is just the start with judicial reform appeared first on MS NOW.
