Pursuits of justices: Docs reveal Supreme Court travels and teaching

The nine members of the Supreme Court had a busy 2018, spending the year traveling, teaching, and — in the case of one justice — coaching. The activities of the justices when they were off the bench were detailed in financial disclosure forms for 2018 released Thursday, which provided a glimpse into their investments, liabilities, and reimbursements. The records show that the members of the high court took a collective 64 trips for which they were reimbursed for transportation, meals, and lodging.

But it was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the oldest justice and the senior member of the court’s liberal bloc, who was the most active. Ginsburg, 86, logged more than a dozen appearances around the world, ranging from a visit to Sundance Film Festival for the screening of the documentary “RBG” at the start of 2018 to a trip to Israel and Jordan in July. Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Elena Kagan each boasted teaching gigs at various law schools, with Thomas raking in an additional $28,000 from his stints at three different universities.

In addition to teaching, Kavanaugh, who joined the Supreme Court in October, also spent his free time coaching girls basketball at Blessed Sacrament School in Washington, D.C. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Sonia Sotomayor, and Stephen Breyer made additional money beyond their salaries from book royalties. Gorsuch brought in a $225,000 advance for his forthcoming collection of essays, speeches, and writings set to hit shelves in September. Sotomayor, meanwhile, made $33,000 in royalties from her various books, while Breyer earned $4,415 for The Court and the World. The newest justice was appointed to the high court last year to fill the seat left open following Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement. Gorsuch also received a watercolor painting from Senior Judge Terrence O’Brien of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals valued at $1,000.

Of the nine justices, three, Chief Justice John Roberts, Alito and Breyer, own stock, which raises the possibility they may have to recuse themselves from future cases involving those companies. Roberts, however, also sold up to $250,000 in AT&T stock.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/courts/pursuits-of-justices-docs-reveal-supreme-court-travels-and-teaching

Justices Financial Disclosures

https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Thomas-2018.pdf

https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Breyer-SG.-J3.-SUP-SIA_R_18.pdf

https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Sotomayor-2018.pdf

https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Gorsuch-2018.pdf

Second militant convicted in trial over 2012 Benghazi attack

A jury in Washington, D.C., convicted a second militant involved in the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. The jury convicted Mustafa al-Imam, 47, on conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and maliciously destroying government property, according to the Washington Post. The jury deadlocked on 15 other charges, including aiding and abetting in murders, and received orders from the judge to renew deliberations.

Ahmed Abu Khattala, a former militia leader in Benghazi, was convicted on similar charges in 2017 and sentenced to 22 years in prison. Khattala was acquitted on 14 charges. The suspected attackers involved were captured under battlefield conditions and transported to the U.S. to stand trial in civilian courts. The difficulty of scoring convictions has spread doubt that the U.S. military may attempt to bring any more suspects back to stand trial, however.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/second-militant-convicted-in-trial-over-2012-benghazi-attack