A Supreme Court for the 21st century It is also time to end life
tenure. The United States stands virtually alone in allowing its
justices to serve until death do us part. Forty-nine states do
not give judges tenure for life. The absence of any limit on the
length of federal judicial service distorts both the criteria
for selection and the confirmation process. The dead hand of
political players from decades past is allowed to continue to
steer our national decision making. Presidents now seek young
appointees, so they can serve for 30 or 40 years. If Thomas is
fortunate enough to serve until the same age as Justice John
Paul Stevens, he will have been on the court for nearly a half-
century. Notably, three of the four justices who would have
struck down the health care law — Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and
Thomas — are the longest-serving justices on the court. All were
appointed by Republicans.Continue Reading It should be
unthinkable in a democratic society to entrust anyone with such
immense power for so long.