Hacker News Reader

Aka a chilling effect (a phrase invented in high court opinion) on justice, if unpopular

The SC has always taken public opinion into account when making their decisions. No 19th century SC would have ruled gay marriage to be legal.

Judges care about their legacy, and most of the time, most of them don't want a legacy of being the asshole on the wrong side of history.

Unless they’re the end product of a 60-year old project to remake america in the image of the John Birch Society. Then anything goes.