On Tuesday morning as reported in the LA Times Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia rear-ended a disabled car on the George Washington Parkway causing a 4 car pileup. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Scalia was ultimately issued a ticket for following too closely, a ticket he can appeal. I wonder what he said to the investigating officer on the scene. I can think of some pretty good lines. “Do you know who I am?” Or, “excuse, me but can you clear this traffic and escort me to work…now”. Or, imagine if he had offered him a bribe or something. “Look, what law don’t you like and I promise to overturn it”. How about: “here’s two free tickets to oral argument in the People v. Wal-Mart.”
By the way, the Justice was on his way to the office to hear oral arguments in a class action gender discrimination case against Wal-Mart. The essential grievance here is that women have been systematically passed over for management positions. According to a report in the LA Times, 86% of managers in the 3,400 chain of stores are men and yet women account for two thirds of the Wal-Mart workforce. In addition, women are paid less on the balance. Wal-Mart countered that it is not company policy to discriminate, that managers have the discretion to promote who they want. 5 of the 6 men on the Court tend to favor Wal-Mart, while Justice Breyer and the 3 women Justices appear sympathetic to the plaintiff.
I wonder what would have happened if Scalia had missed the oral arguments due to the fender bender mishap. It would have been a 4-4 stalemate. Then what?
By the way, do you think Scalia will appeal the ticket? He could claim diplomatic immunity or something. If it were appealed to the high court, it would probably end in a 4-4 tie. A truly divided court.
Filed under: News, Politics | Tagged: gender discrimination, Scalia accident, Wal-Mart |
Ribbie's Weblog 
He thinks He is above the Law. Have you seen this man lately He seem like He east too much pasta what a pig. Like most Republican ugly pigs.
Well, he is a supreme court justice and in some ways the law for life. He may have a weight problem, I don’t know, but that is true of course of many Americans – our expanding waistline is a matter of great concern. As to Republicans, I won’t resort to name calling, as you have, but if you are referring to their politics, I would say that there are many on the right who seem to care more about the fat cats than they do the people they represent. This is partly ideological – the rich take caring of the rich, the “lazy” poor and unemployed be damned- and partly political – politicians taking care of the rich to stay in power – in some cases a sort of business class collusion. Scalia and company helped usher in the era of unlimited corporate influence on U.S. politics in Citizens United v FEC; a really ugly ruling.