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"Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get His Goat?

By Last Night in Little Rock, Section Supreme Court
Posted on Wed Oct 05, 2005 at 07:56:01 PM EST
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by Last Night in Little Rock

When Kenneth Starr was running around the Arkansas and D.C. woods like a hound dog in heat looking for the non-existent goods on Clinton, he insisted that everybody address him as "Judge Starr," even though he resigned his lifetime appointment to have a better shot at the Supreme Court and then blew it by being a neo-con witchhunter. He no longer had the right to even suggest he be called "Judge," unless he wanted his wife, children, and maid to do it.

Today, as Dean of the Pepperdine Law School, he moved the admission of several lawyers into the Bar of the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice referred to him as "Dean Starr." Finally, somebody humbled the unhumbleable.

Would Rehnquist have sucked up and called him "Judge" even though he passed up a lifetime appointment for the big bucks of private practice while still nominally heading the OIC's "Whitewater" investigation? What would one expect from someone with Gilbert & Sullivan gold on his sleeves? Actually, I don't know. Rehnquist was big on tradition and decorum.

Remember when Starr was asked before a Congressional Committee whether he had actually talked to the witnesses of whom he was praising their truthtelling powers? He said "No." Am I the only one who caught that?

I was at an oral argument and he was moving in somebody's admission, as was I, and I was sitting right behind Starr with Keith Stroup from NORML. Keith and I know Webb Hubbell. We talked about Hubbell before Court started the just to bug Starr. He kept his cool.

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    "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get His Goat? | 9 comments (9 topical)
    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:43 PM EST
    So did Chief Justice Roberts emulate his late predecessor by wearing the gold stripes on his sleeves?

    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#2)
    by Peter G on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:43 PM EST
    Many of yesterday's news stories on Roberts' first day noted that he was wearing a plain black robe. No gold stripes.

    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:43 PM EST
    To be fair, the unofficial rule is that one refers to a former public officials by the highest office they ever held. So for example, Ann Richards will be Gov. Richards for the rest of her life. Usually it's a courtesy others afford you, though, not one you demand for yourself.

    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#4)
    by Molly Bloom on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:43 PM EST
    The answer to the 1st question is no, no stripes. Talk Left, Thank you for posting this, it made my morning, I feel a smigeon better about Roberts... just a smigeon.

    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:44 PM EST
    Didn't Roberts used to work for Ken Starr? There has to be some history there.

    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#6)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:44 PM EST
    ohw-he sure didwork for Starr. That was why claiming Attorney client privilege, as a reason not to hand over any docs during his Roberts SC review was so ironic. Starr lost that same argument against Clinton while Roberts was working for him. The courts ruled that there is no attorney client privilege for the Attorney General, as he or she is working for the American people, not the president.

    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:44 PM EST
    Roberts' stripes go right up his back.

    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:44 PM EST
    non-existent goods? did you fall asleep during those years and forget the number of convictions of Arkansas cronies that were indicted, convicted and went to prison? how about the voluntary disbarment? perjury?

    Re: "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get H (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:44 PM EST
    didn't hubbell get convicted? why would reminding a prosecutor about a guy who went down bother him? it probably brought back warm memories of criminals imprisoned.

    "Dean Starr," Not "Judge Starr." Roberts Get His Goat? | 9 comments (9 topical)