Opinion | A Federal Judge Asks Whether the Supreme Court Understands How Bad It Looks to the Public - The New York Times

Opinion | A Federal Judge Asks Whether the Supreme Court Understands How Bad It Looks to the Public - The New York Times

By Michael Ponsor

Judge Ponsor is a senior judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

What has gone wrong with the Supreme Court’s sense of smell?

I joined the federal bench in 1984, some years before any of the justices currently on the Supreme Court. Throughout my career, I have been bound and guided by a written code of conduct, backed by a committee of colleagues I can call on for advice. In fact, I checked with a member of that committee before writing this essay.

A few times in my nearly 40 years on the bench, complaints have been filed against me. This is not uncommon for a federal judge. So far, none have been found to have merit, but all of these complaints have been processed with respect, and I have paid close attention to them.