The sheriff has entrusted the investigation to Miss Curley, the sheriff, whose most famous duty is to exclaim “Oyez, oyez, oyez!” when the judges entered the courtroom. She is a respected former soldier lawyer, but her department has very few investigative bodies like other government agencies, has no subpoenas, and staff is only partially devoted to security. Others on her team handle court administrative tasks such as staffing events and handling correspondence.
But Chief Justice Roberts was a staunch defender of the court’s independence, reluctant to let outsiders interfere. “Judicial authorities the right to manage their own internal affairs,” he wrote a few months ago, “protects the courts from inappropriate political influence and is vital to maintaining public confidence in the work of the courts as an arm of government.” separate and equal.”
As the employee interviews began, a dilemma emerged. No one wants to appear uncooperative, as if they have something to hide. The court’s written code of conduct states that judges “expect and demand full loyalty from their own law clerks and the clerks of all other Judges.” According to interviews with people who held the position for a year as well as class counselors last year, rifts between a secretary and his or her justice can have immediate and lasting effects. long. Work is based on closeness with the judges, the ability to convey the voice and views of the bosses in drafting opinions.
More about the Supreme Court of the United States
The benefits accrued in a year in court can add up over decades. For those turning to law firms, signing bonuses can be as high as $450,000, according to some attorneys at recruiting and hiring firms. The judges have a strong alumni network that includes reunions. A judge’s endorsement can be critical to the position of a federal judge or a position as a law professor. Many secretaries engage in appellate activities, where, after a brief hiatus from court work, they spend the rest of their well-paid careers reading and influencing thinking. of the judges.
But the search for the marshal was very broad. Interview questions, and affidavits that secretaries were required to sign, were swept up and lying to federal investigators was a crime. Investigators collected court-issued electronic devices for secretaries and requested their personal devices. The group fears what one person calls a “leak” — revealing details, such as off-topic comments about judges or the case, that have nothing to do with the leak but could cause harm. harmful.
The requirement to hand over a personal cell phone led some to seek out a lawyer. It is unclear to what extent employees agree to share physical devices. But the report says that the employees “voluntarily provided detailed call and text records as well as billing statements,” suggesting that at least some may have reached a compromise: Investigators can view records and numbers but have no access to other personal documents.
Investigation expansion and deflation
