Is Kavanaugh a Swing and a Miss?
Vetting a U.S. Supreme Court nominee should include checking baseball stats.
For example, it would be bad precedent to nominate a judge who cheated while playing or gambling on baseball. But what about a baseball fanatic, the kind that goes into debt to buy season tickets?
Brett Kavanaugh isn't that bad, sort of -- especially since a season ticket to the Washington Nationals is only $500. But do you really want a Supreme Court judge to take off work early to catch a game?
America's Judge?
Maybe it's not all bad. Perhaps Kavanaugh is America's judge -- a card-carrying, die-hard baseball fan.
However, his baseball behavior came up after the media looked into his spending habits. According to the reports, Kavanaugh once had between $60,000 and $200,000 in credit card debt -- including baseball-ticket debt.
That's saying something because sometimes the judge had more liabilities than assets, the Washington Post said. For lack of a better word, it says "insolvent."
No one said you have to be a Trump billionaire (or not, based on his last public tax return), but it can play on your mind when you have financial stresses. (Like, "I've got to get out of this robe and get a ballpark hot dog.")
Is He Outta Here?
Of all the reasons to toss a nominee, baseball-ticket debt has to be near the bottom. However, stranger things have happened on the way to court.
Ryan Bounds, President Trump's recent pick for the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, had to bow out after his racially charged writings became an issue.
Kavanaugh reportedly paid off his baseball debt. But if he makes it to the Supreme Court, he may have to tone down his affection for baseball or take up another diversion.
There is, after all, a basketball court above the courtroom. And he won't have to pay to play there.
Related Resources:
- History Behind the Supreme Court's Basketball Court (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
- Likely Timeline for Future Supreme Court Justice Retirements (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
- United States Supreme Court Cases (FindLaw's Cases & Codes)