DeepSummary
In this episode of Fresh Air, Terry Gross interviews former civil rights lawyer and judge David Tatel about his new memoir 'Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice'. Tatel, who served as a judge on the powerful D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals for 30 years until retiring earlier this year, discusses his growing disillusionment with the Supreme Court's recent rulings, which he believes have abandoned principles of judicial restraint and flawed reasoning.
Tatel expresses deep concern over decisions like overturning the Chevron deference, gutting the Voting Rights Act, and granting presidents immunity for official acts, arguing these undermine the judicial process and democratic norms. He also reflects on managing his progressive blindness since age 12, his techniques for covering it up early in his career, and his initial reluctance to get a guide dog, which has now greatly enhanced his independence.
Throughout the interview, Tatel emphasizes his commitment to impartial judging based on precedent and judicial restraint, contrasting it with the current Supreme Court's perceived judicial activism driven by ideology. He also shares poignant anecdotes about his beloved guide dog Vixen and the profound impact she has had on his life in recent years.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- David Tatel, a former federal appeals court judge, has lost faith in the Supreme Court's impartiality and adherence to judicial norms due to recent rulings he sees as ideologically driven and lacking judicial restraint.
- Tatel is deeply troubled by Supreme Court decisions overturning precedents like the Chevron deference, granting presidential immunity, and gutting the Voting Rights Act, viewing them as threats to democratic principles.
- Despite being blind since his 30s, Tatel managed to have a distinguished legal career by using techniques to conceal his blindness early on and leveraging technological aids later in his career.
- Tatel's new guide dog Vixen has greatly enhanced his independence and mobility in recent years, allowing him to perform daily tasks and travel with ease.
- Tatel believes strongly in judicial impartiality, adherence to precedent, and restraint from ideological policymaking, principles he feels the current Supreme Court has abandoned.
- As a judge, Tatel felt bound to follow Supreme Court precedents even if he disagreed with the reasoning, highlighting the dilemma faced by lower court judges.
- Tatel's memoir provides an insightful perspective on being a blind judge navigating the legal profession as well as his growing disillusionment with the Supreme Court's direction.
- The impact of digital technologies in enabling blind individuals to overcome limitations and achieve professional success is highlighted through Tatel's experiences.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Technology has been magical. It is a lot easier to be blind now than it was 40 years ago when the world went digital. My court, now, law firms, everybody, everything is digital. There's no more paper and text to speech. Technology has developed dramatically so that I can now read virtually everything that comes across my desk.“ by David Tatel
- “Problem with today's court is that it has, decision after decision, abandoned very fundamental principles of judicial restraint that, like following precedent, respect for constitutional text, and statutory text, respecting its own limited jurisdiction.“ by David Tatel
- “It was a breathtaking exercise of judicial activism.“ by David Tatel
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Episode Information
Fresh Air
NPR
7/3/24
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