Editing 1607: Supreme Court
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The title text refers to {{w|Justice Kennedy}}'s reputation for being a moderate who is usually the swing vote in 5-4 decisions, which means that his vote can decide the outcome of the case which is otherwise split along the political leanings of the other justices. The joke in the title text is that he is weighing the arguments of both sides even though the non-justice is clearly not a justice and would not be allowed to make an argument if he were. The fictional Kennedy humors the impostor's arguments by pretending to give them serious contemplation, finding that they do have some compelling philosophical merit, though not nearly enough to give the impostor any convincing reason for sitting on the Supreme Court. | The title text refers to {{w|Justice Kennedy}}'s reputation for being a moderate who is usually the swing vote in 5-4 decisions, which means that his vote can decide the outcome of the case which is otherwise split along the political leanings of the other justices. The joke in the title text is that he is weighing the arguments of both sides even though the non-justice is clearly not a justice and would not be allowed to make an argument if he were. The fictional Kennedy humors the impostor's arguments by pretending to give them serious contemplation, finding that they do have some compelling philosophical merit, though not nearly enough to give the impostor any convincing reason for sitting on the Supreme Court. | ||
| β | There is a second joke in the title text, that the man is claiming to be two of the current justices, who would actually have been in the room at the same time as the impostor was claiming to be them. To add further absurdity to this, one of those justices the man | + | There is a second joke in the title text, that the man is claiming to be two of the current justices, who would actually have been in the room at the same time as the impostor was claiming to be them. To add further absurdity to this, one of those justices the man was claiming to be was {{w|Justice Ginsburg}}, who is female. |
That said, it is possible that this could refer to a point in time in the past. Under the [http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_08.html Tenth Circuit Act of 1863] the U.S. Supreme Court was expanded to 10 justices; {{w|Stephen Johnson Field}} was named to the 10th seat. Congress abolished the seat via attrition through the [http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_09.html Judicial Circuits Act of 1866]. Field remained in office until 1897. | That said, it is possible that this could refer to a point in time in the past. Under the [http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_08.html Tenth Circuit Act of 1863] the U.S. Supreme Court was expanded to 10 justices; {{w|Stephen Johnson Field}} was named to the 10th seat. Congress abolished the seat via attrition through the [http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/landmark_09.html Judicial Circuits Act of 1866]. Field remained in office until 1897. | ||
