Litigation

Gingrich: Four IA Justices Should Quit

By Peter Hardin

Four Iowa Supreme Court justices unaffected by the Election Day ouster of three fellow justices ought to resign, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said.

Gingrich, a Republican, is considered a potential presidential candidate in 2012. He discussed the justices at a book-signing ceremony, according to a Des Moines Register blog post.

Iowans voted to remove three justices in a retention election, after a nationally funded campaign targeted the court over a decision that permitted same-sex marriage.

?I mean it?s clear if they had been on the ballot, they?d have been repealed,? Gingrich said about the four justices whose terms will expire later.

Because the judicial system’s integrity and authority derive from the consent of the governed, he said, ?then the governed have indicated they don?t agree with this court ? so I think they have any sense of integrity about protecting the court, they?ll step down.?

Last year Gingrich called the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage “outrageously wrong,” according to an Associated Press article at the time.

You can read more about Gingrich’s thoughts on the judiciary, including his advocacy of eliminating the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, from Gavel Grab.

Full post as published by The Gavel on November 17, 2010 (boomark / email).