Samuel Alito calls judiciary the ‘least dangerous’ branch of government

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito spoke at the Scalia Memorial Dinner to address the judiciary's institutional challenges and dispel rumors regarding his potential retirement. Alito attributed the rise of "shadow docket" cases to presidents seeking unilateral actions due to congressional gridlock and to the fact that 680 district judges may occasionally "tinker" with rules. He characterized the judiciary as the…

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned at the Federalist Society’s annual Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner that Congress could effectively shut down the court by withholding its funding for operations, staff, and facilities. The justice argued that because Congress controls the "purse strings," the judiciary is the weakest of the three branches and its independence is at risk if funding is used as leverage. The…

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr. issued a warning during a Federalist Society dinner that Congress could potentially defund the Supreme Court to obstruct its operations and eliminate judicial independence. Alito argued that such actions would threaten the Constitution as it was adopted in 1789, even though Article III, Section 1 explicitly protects the compensation of high court justices. The report also…

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned at a Federalist Society event in Washington, D.C., that the judiciary is vulnerable to the executive and legislative branches, specifically noting that Congress could "turn off the lights" by withholding funding. Speaking to an audience of over 2,500 people, Alito argued that while the court is the least dangerous branch, it must remain independent as presidents increasingly…