Category: Judiciary
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And Justice for All: Kefauver’s Fight for Poor Defendants
Kefauver believed strongly in the rule of law and fighting for the poor and working class. So when Congress considered the question of providing lawyers for low-income defendants, Kefauver was all in.
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Conservatives vs. The Warren Court, Part 2: LBJ Saves the Day
A couple of dangerous conservative bills aimed at crippling the Supreme Court appeared to be on a path to passage… until Lyndon Johnson pulled off some impressive legislative moves.
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Conservatives vs. the Warren Court, Part 1: The Forgotten Revolt
In the late 1950s, a cross-party coalition of Congressional conservatives joined forces to try and muzzle the Warren Court. What got them so angry, and why have we forgotten this chapter of American history?
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Haste Makes Waste… and Bad Laws: Kefauver and the Jencks Act
What do you get when you have two months to pass a law driven by anti-Communist paranoia, anti-Supreme Court resentment, and with the FBI and Justice Department holding a gun to your head? Nothing good. But it’s a law that’s stood for 75 years.
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Read a Book, Write a Bill: Kefauver and Judicial Corruption
Estes Kefauver frequently wrote articles and books urging people to support bills he created. But on at least one occasion, Kefauver was inspired to propose a bill based on a book he read.
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Justice Kefauver?
In the summer of 1961, rumors swirled that a Supreme Court justice was going to resign, and Kefauver would be his replacement, Why didn’t it happen?
Estes Kefauver for President 