Justice Stevens' opinion

["Stephen Cooke" <scooke@uidaho.edu>]

Visionaries,
	From the Supreme Court Opinion 

Cite as: 531 U. S. ____ (2000) 7
STEVENS, J., dissenting
What must underlie petitioners' entire federal assault
on the Florida election procedures is an unstated lack of
confidence in the impartiality and capacity of the state
judges who would make the critical decisions if the vote
Counts were to proceed. Otherwise, their position is wholly
without merit. The endorsement of that position by the
majority of this Court can only lend credence to the most
cynical appraisal of the work of judges throughout the
land. It is confidence in the men and women who administer
the judicial system that is the true backbone of the
rule of law. Time will one day heal the wound to that
confidence that will be inflicted by today' s decision. One
thing, however, is certain. Although we may never know
with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this
year' s Presidential election, the identity of the loser is
perfectly clear. It is the Nation' s confidence in the judge
as an impartial guardian of the rule of law.
I respectfully dissent. (emphasis added)

Stephen Cooke

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