Global Courant 2023-05-04 00:23:39
Records from the campaign period and the 2000 election itself were found in the newly opened files of the late Justice John Paul Stevens. They reveal the case for the first time – Bush v. Gore.
The data also show tension among the nine justices who were asked to rule on the presidential election in the short term, reports cnn.
Supreme Court documents released Tuesday show that now-retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, then the Supreme Court’s first woman, provided an early framework that guided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election dispute and ensured that George W. Bush to win the election against Al Gore.
O’Connor’s strong hand, which was at the heart of the court’s ideology at the time, is no surprise. O’Connor was also known to have attempted to leave before the discussion, and her four-page letter was circulated to colleagues before the formal discussions began. Her move probably ensured that she and Kennedy had the most influence in the final “per curiam” opinion, which was voted on by five justices.
The final 5-4 decision stopped a recount in the key Florida district and gave Bush, the Texas governor, victory over then-US Vice President Gore.
Five conservative justices (O’Connor, Kennedy, Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas) sided with Bush. Four liberal justices (Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer) agreed with Gore and angrily dissented.
The court’s rulings reflect deep divisions in the county after an election that was so close for weeks that it could not be declared and continues to haunt the presidential race. The decision remains one of the biggest threats to the court’s venerable independence and institutional status.
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