Earlier, I blogged about Chief Justice Roberts's letter to Senator Durbin. That letter bore only the Chief's signature, so we do not know if his eight colleagues concurred. (I suspect that Justice Thomas would have dissented from the shoddy historical analysis). Here, I'll turn to the attached "Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices." This 2.5 page document was signed by all 9 of the justices.
The document is significant simply because it exists: all 9 justices were able to come to a consensus on a statement of ethics in a fairly short time. (I was curious why the Court didn't release opinions on a Tuesday when oral arguments were scheduled; now I suspect the Court was putting the finishing touches on this statement). But, if ever the price of the unanimity, the letter doesn't say very much of use.
What did we learn? The statement reiterates a fact that is lost in every single news story about judicial ethics:
