About 2 in 3 Americans say they favor term limits or a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court justices, according to a new poll that finds a sharp rise in the percentage of Americans who say they “barely” They trust the court.
The survey of The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 67% of Americans support a proposal to set a specific number of years judges serve instead of life sentences, including 82% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans. Opinions are similar on the requirement that judges retire at a specific age.
The survey was conducted just weeks after the high court issued high-profile rulings that included stripping women’s constitutional protections for abortion and expanding gun rights. The survey also shows that more Americans disapprove than approve of the court’s decision on abortion, with just over half saying the decision made them “angry” or “sad.”
The court, now in summer recess, will hear cases again in October with diminished confidence among Americans. Now 43% say they have little confidence in the court, up from 27% three months ago.
Inez Parker, of Currie, North Carolina, said she is among those who strongly favor service limits for judges. “I think some of those people have been there too long. They have no new ideas. When you get to a certain age and everything, you get your way like I get my way,” the 84-year-old Democrat said.
The Constitution grants federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, tenure for life, but there have recently been calls for change. A commission commissioned by President Joe Biden to examine possible changes to the Supreme Court studied term limits, among other issues. The commission finished its work last year, and its members were ultimately divided over whether they believed Congress had the power to pass legislation creating the equivalent of term limits.
Phil Boller, 90, of LaFollette, Tennessee, said he’s not totally opposed to capping judges’ years of service. The Republican who worked in broadcasting and later owned his own lawn care business said “it’s basically worked the way it’s been and I don’t see any reason to change that.”
The oldest member of the current court is Justice Clarence Thomas, 74, followed by Justice Samuel Alito, 72. But recent justices have served into their 80s. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served until her death in 2020 at age 87. Justice Anthony Kennedy retired in 2018 at the age of 81. And Judge Stephen Breyer just retired at 83 years old.
Ginsburg served 27 years, Kennedy 30 years, and Breyer nearly 28 years.
Four new members have joined the court in the last five years, lowering the average age of court members. Three justices are in their 60s: Chief Justice John Roberts, 67, and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, 68, and Elena Kagan, 62. The remaining justices are in their 50s. Neil Gorsuch is 54, Brett Kavanaugh is 57, Amy Coney Barrett is 50, and Ketanji Brown Jackson is 51.
[Con información de The Associated Press]
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