Judge Gives Middle Finger to Supreme Court in Major Ruling

Summary

Legal AF by MeidasTouch Episode Summary: "Judge Gives Middle Finger to Supreme Court in Major Ruling" Release Date: July 12, 2025

---

Introduction

In this compelling episode of Legal AF by MeidasTouch, host Michael Popach delves deep into a landmark ruling where a judge openly challenges the Supreme Court, symbolically giving it “the middle finger.” The episode navigates the intricate dynamics between lower courts and the Supreme Court, emphasizing the pivotal role of dissenting opinions in shaping American jurisprudence and the state of democracy.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. The Significance of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Dissents

• Timestamp [03:43]: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson expresses her concern over the state of American democracy, stating, “I would say the state of our democracy. I would say that I am really very interested in getting people to focus and invest and pay attention to what is happening in our country and in our government.”

• Analysis: The hosts highlight Jackson's commitment to safeguarding democratic principles. Her dissents are portrayed as moral compasses guiding the judiciary towards justice and accountability.

2. Impact of Jackson’s Dissents on the Judiciary

• Timestamp [10:54] – [11:25]: Popach references a conversation where Jackson acknowledges her role in the judiciary, emphasizing the importance of her dissents in countering majority opinions that may threaten the rule of law.

• Notable Quote: Jackson remarks, “Sometimes we have cases that have those kind of implications and we know are these cases that are issues where there is a kind of significance.”

• Insight: The episode underscores how Jackson’s dissenting opinions serve as a “shining beacon” and a blueprint for future legal battles, potentially influencing not only current jurisprudence but also inspiring future generations of lawyers and judges.

3. The Role of Dissents in Shaping Future Rulings

• Timestamp [04:09] – [10:54]: Popach elaborates on the power of dissenting opinions, suggesting that they often lay the groundwork for future majority opinions. He cites Jackson’s dissents on topics like national injunctions and executive power as examples of critical legal standpoints that challenge the status quo.

• Notable Quote: “The arc of history bends towards justice. It's just, I mean, I know that's a little bit of a hackneyed phrase in saying, we say it and sometimes we don't understand what the words mean, but eventually the wheel of justice will turn back towards justice.”

• Conclusion: Dissents are portrayed not merely as disagreements but as essential components of a healthy legal system that ensure continuous progress towards justice.

---

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Stand Against the Supreme Court

4. Challenges to the Supreme Court’s Authority

• Timestamp [03:43] – [04:09]: Jackson voices her concerns about attacks on the judiciary, describing them as “attacks on our democracy, on our system of government, and they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law.”

• Discussion: The hosts discuss how Jackson’s outspoken stance against the current Supreme Court majority is unprecedented and represents a significant pushback against perceived overreach and erosion of judicial independence.

5. Future Implications of Jackson’s Dissenting Opinions

• Timestamp [11:25] – [13:35]: Popach and Friedman Agnifilo explore the long-term effects of Jackson’s dissents, suggesting that her legal reasoning and moral stance may eventually shift the Court’s balance. They emphasize the importance of continued public engagement and support for justices like Jackson who are willing to challenge the majority.

• Notable Quote: “The arc of history bends towards justice... eventually the wheel of justice will turn back towards justice and it will be led by people like Ketanji Brown Jackson.”

---

Impact on American Democracy

6. Empowering the Public Through Legal Discourse

• Timestamp [13:35] – End: The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to stay informed and engaged. Popach stresses the collective responsibility to support judicial independence and uphold democratic values, inspired by Jackson’s leadership.

• Key Point: The hosts advocate for a proactive approach in defending the rule of law, encouraging listeners to follow developments on the Legal AF Substack for in-depth analyses and updates.

---

Conclusion

This episode of Legal AF by MeidasTouch presents a thorough exploration of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s pivotal role in challenging the Supreme Court through her dissenting opinions. By dissecting her statements and legal arguments, the hosts emphasize the importance of judicial independence and the enduring impact of well-articulated dissents on the American legal landscape. The discussion serves as both an informative analysis for those unfamiliar with the episode and a rallying cry for continued vigilance in defending democratic principles.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Ketanji Brown Jackson [03:43]: “I would say the state of our democracy... I am really very interested in getting people to focus and invest and pay attention to what is happening in our country and in our government.”

• Michael Popach [11:25]: “The arc of history bends towards justice... eventually the wheel of justice will turn back towards justice and it will be led by people like Ketanji Brown Jackson.”

---

Stay Connected:

For more in-depth analysis and updates on legal developments intersecting with politics, subscribe to the Legal AF Substack and follow the Meidas Touch Network. Engage with a community committed to understanding and defending the foundations of American democracy.

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial Geniuses. Monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.

[ShipStation]

E Commerce Business owners know a successful business keeps customers happy. That's why smart retailers use shipstation. Turn shoppers into loyal customers with cheaper, faster and better shipping. Manage all your orders and returns in one place and save up to 90% on rates from all the global carriers. Go to shipstation.com program to sign up for your free trial. No credit card required and you can Cancel anytime. That's shipstation.com program warning the following ZipRecruiter.

[Narrator]

Radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F.

[ZipRecruiter]

Words when you're hiring. We at ZipRecruiter know you can feel frustrated, forlorn even, like your efforts are futile and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. Fortunately, ZipRecruiter figured out how to fix all that and right now you can try ZipRecruiter for free at ZipRecruiter.com Zip with ZipRecruiter you can forget your frustrations because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day.

[Narrator]

Fantastic.

[ZipRecruiter]

So whether you need to hire four, three, 40 or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to ZipRecruiter.com Zip to try ZipRecruiter for free. Don't forget that ZipRecruiter.com Zip finally, that.

[American Giant]

ZipRecruiter.com zip everything from clothing to household items are getting more expensive each day. The world of fast fashion has complicated clothing production by shipping cheap parts around the world to whoever can sew them the cheapest. And now you, the consumer, are paying the price with rising costs. American Giant is about keeping things simple and close to home. They aren't affected by tariffs because their products never leave the us. Skip the tariff and snag yourself. American made clothing with American Giant. Get 20% off your first order when you use promo code [e-mail] that's 20% off when you use code STAPLE20 at american-giant.com.

[Narrator]

Message and iterates me apply or consult a doctor prior to use.

[Zealthy]

Wow, you look amazing. What have you been doing? I'm sure you've heard of Ozempic, Wegovy and the other GLP1 medications, right? Well, I found this great company called Zelty. If you qualify, their providers can prescribe medications like Ozempic and wegovy and other GLP1 medications that are 80 to 90% less expensive, all 100% online. I can get GLP1 medications for 80 to 90% less and do it all online. No doctor's office or pharmacy. Yes, Zealthy can provide Semaglutide or Tirzepatide, the active ingredients in Ozempic and other expensive GLP1s but for 80 to 90% less and ship directly to your door. How do I get started with Zealthy?

Call £250 with the word care. To get started today with Zealthy, get the same active ingredients in Wegovy or ozempic but for 80 to 90% less and 100% online. Don't wait. Call pound 250 with the word care right now. For a link to your exclusive offer, call £250 with the word care. That's £250 with a word care. £250 and care.

[Narrator]

What keeps you up at night?

[Ketanji Brown Jackson]

I would say the state of our democracy. I would say that I am. I am really very interested in getting people to focus and, and to invest and to pay attention to what is happening in our country and in our government.

[ZipRecruiter]

Who is your favorite United States district judge?

[Narrator]

No comment. While in this critical moment in our democracy, it takes our youngest, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to look the American people in the eye with that intestinal fortitude of hers, that strength of character, and tell them the truth that the state of our democracy is what keeps her up at night. As you just heard from her being interviewed at the Indianapolis Bar association after the end of this term, we know the context for her. We know that she is a shining light in beacon about what this constitutional republic is supposed to be, what it can be, what it should be. And she's holding the rest of the Supreme Court and the MAGA right wing accountable. She's taking names, she's kicking butt, and she's doing it in her dissents. And the reason for those dissents and why they're so important is because they speak to our inner angels, to the best part of who we are as Americans. And they are like a note in a bottle to be recovered in some very soon, near future time. They'll be read by generations of law students and influence their jurisprudence. And they will often somebody who writes dissents like that now, it may be a couple of years, but they will often turn the tide and become the majority opinion. Let's talk about Ketanji Brown Jackson because she matters, because we matter, because we do it all here on the Midas Touch Network the way she wants us to. She wants us to focus. She wants us to pay attention to what is happening. And that's exactly why we created the Midas Touch Network and why we created Legal af. Let's talk about Ketanji Brown Jackson. I'm Michael Popach. This is not the first time we've heard from her this term. In May, on May Day in Puerto Rico, Ketanji Brown Jackson talked about the assault of the Trump administration on the rule of law, attacking the judiciary, attacking judges, attacking lawyers. And she was a frontrunner. She said those things even before she wrote some of her most powerful dissents in the last several months. So you see, it's bookended by the statement she made in Puerto Rico on a key critical day of May Day, Law Day, if you will, and on the comments that she made looking back on this term. She never mentions anybody by name. You saw the very hearty belly laugh when she was asked by the interviewer about who's her favorite federal district judge. These are the judges that make the decisions that ultimately make their way to the Supreme Court. But she knows where, she knows where she was going with that. Let me read to you from some of the dissents that Katanji Brown Jackson has written, joined usually by Justice Sotomayor and by Justice Kagan. She wrote in recent weeks, for instance, that in Puerto Rico, as you saw, she said in Puerto Rico when she gave her speech, she said the attacks on the judiciary are not random. They seem designed to intimidate those of us who serve in this critical capacity. The threats and harassment are our attacks on our democracy, on our system of government, and they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law. A shining beacon is Ketanji Brown Jackson in a dissent last month related to national or nationwide injunctions being curbed or taken out of the tool bag for federal judges. She wrote in her dissent, perhaps the degradation of our rule of law regime would happen anyway, but this court's complicity and the creation of a culture of disdain for lower courts, their rulings and the law as they interpret it will surely hasten the downfall of our governing institutions, enabling our collective demise. She registered her dissent with deep disillusionment. She also said that the MAGA right wing majority on the Supreme Court has put Donald Trump into a law free zone that he is not entitled to the no president is entitled to destroying the delicate separation of power and the checks and balance that was established by our founders. She also wrote in another dissent for the reasons, and this is just in the last couple of days, she said for some reason this court in her dissent this week concerning the decision to allow the reduction in force and the dramatic altering of the relationship between the government and its people in terms of the social safety net, federal agencies and departments like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, veterans benefits and the rest and funding and all of that, she said for some reason, and this is another dissent from her, this court sees fit to step in and now release the president's wrecking ball at the outset of this litigation. In my view, this decision is not only truly unfortunate, but also hubristic and senseless. And she is not shy about taking on some of the swing votes on the Supreme Court. Like Ketanji Brown, like Amy Coney Barrett, she feels it's important. You know, I recently did an interview with Leah Lippman, who has another cop podcast called Strict Scrutiny, she's a law professor of University of Michigan, about the power of dissents, even though they're not the majority opinion for the Supreme Court. Like why, why bother? Why bother at all, I guess is the way to put it. And in a recent interview in which she gave another statement about the power of dissents, she said sometimes she sees it as an existential threat to the rule of law. Ketanji Brown, Jackson, she said sometimes we have cases that have those kind of implications and we know and you know, are these cases that are issues where there is a kind of significance. So she feels that lawlessness by the executive branch is being allowed to flourish. She said this in another dissent. And executive power will be completely uncontainable. Let's run the clip of her again. This is her coming out since the court is over just in the last 48 hours or so. Here's her comment about her blistering dissents, which she defends, about the different opinions that she has with the other people that she shares the bench with. Let's run that clip.

[Michael Popach]

You wrote that you predict executive power will become completely uncontainable. Just today a professor was quoted in the New York Times talking about you and said Justice Jackson is trying to raise the alarm. Whether she is writing for the public or a future court, she is making a larger point about what she sees as not just the errors of the majority's position position, but the dangers of it as well. Does the current state of American democracy concern you?

[Ketanji Brown Jackson]

So I am actually heartened that people are focused on the court and the work that we're doing on the state of the government because again, as I mentioned, as a democracy, the people are supposed to be the rulers. The people are supposed to be leading in terms of the policies and the way in which our government operates. And so the more that people are engaged with our institutions, I think the better. And so what I feel that I've been privileged to do is use the writings that I do, the work that I do, to explain my views about the way our government does and should work, the way the court does and should work. I think the nice part about being on the court is that you have the opportunity, whether you're in the majority or in the dissent, to express your opinions.

[Tushy]

If you've ever experienced discomfort from heat and sweat, especially during the summer months, it's time to rethink how you care for your personal hygiene. I recently installed a Tushy bidet and the difference has been remarkable. Installation was simple and took about 10 minutes. The bidet fits seamlessly into my bathroom. Adding a modern touch using warm water to cleanse instead of toilet paper feels cleaner and gentler on the skin. Much better for maintaining natural skin. Healthier Tushy offers a variety of options, including models with heated seats, UV sterilization and even air dryers for hands free cleaning. It reduces irritation and prevents micro tears that traditional toilet paper can cause while also cutting down on paper usage by up to 80%. Keep your swampiest body parts fresh and cool for a limited time. Our listeners get 10% off their first bidet order. When you use code legal AF at checkout, that's 10% off your first bidet [e-mail] with promo code legal AF.

[Narrator]

I think the point of this hot take is we need to both heed the clarion call of Ketanji Brown Jackson and follow her lead to not lose sight or focus or lose interest in what is happening. I know there's a certain amount of fatigue and I don't want you to think every time I come on Midas Touch or Legal af. Oh, here's the Grim Reaper talking about another case that's happened. Any case where there's been a ruling that's adverse to democracy or the separation of powers, there is somewhere in there. And maybe it is the dissent. The blueprint to resist, to defy, to change the Order of things in other cases, cases beget and beget other cases and strategies and tactics have to change and we talk about it. Yes, we kind of give the, you know, here's what happened sort of yesterday's news. You. But we tried to also do it as here's what happens, but here's what should happen next and can happen next based on that, you know, we're being dealt cards, but we can play our hand in a different way with the knowledge that we have now have about the United States Supreme Court. And that's the point of dissents, to kind of be a shining light in the darkness, to lead us down the proper path. The arc of history bends towards justice. It's just, I mean, I know that's a little bit of a hackneyed phrase in saying, we say it and sometimes we don't understand what the words mean, but eventually the wheel of justice will turn back towards justice and it will be led by people like Ketanji Brown Jackson and we will look back on her dissents and say, right, where were the judges and where were the lawyers? They were here with us the whole time, providing us with leadership. Now she's one vote or three votes with her other like minded moderates on the bench. But we can see how over time she can change the hearts and minds, not just the people on the United States Supreme Court, but out here where it matters for voting purposes. We need people like Ketanji Brown Jackson just like we need people like Jamie Raskin in Congress and Adam Schiff and Hakeem Jeffries and Richie Torres and the rest talking to us. Doug Jones, former senator from a red, red state of Alabama, talking to us about and emboldening us and empowering us with knowledge which we need in the resistance. I said this after the election and it's so true today that we have to steel ourselves for the resistance. We're in opposition, but that doesn't mean we're gonna be leaning back. That doesn't mean we're defeated. That doesn't mean there's no optimism or hope or it's just one long dark black tunnel with no shining light at the end. History tells us that that is not true. We see it in the wins that we are accomplishing at the trial court level and at the appellate court level. Sure, we're losing at a higher percentage than I would like at the United States Supreme Court, but we're winning a few at the United States Supreme Court as well. Not in the numbers that, that we expect or that from a jurisprudential analysis that we should. But we are winning there a handful as well. And the tide will turn. We gotta be led and allow ourselves to be led by people like Ketanji Brown Jackson. So I'll continue to follow it because we have to, because we have to speak truth to each other because that empowers us right here on the Midas Dutch Network. I mean, I'm not saying Katanji Brown Jackson is a fan of the of the Midas Dutch Network illegal layoff, but she does, she does use the same vocabulary that we do about the the need to focus and invest and pay attention to what is happening. And we do it all together here in this fellowship of Legal AF and the Midas Touch Network. Take a moment. Subscribe to Midas Touch Network. Come on over to Legal af. No paywall? No paywall. Just a subscribe button. It's free, but that helps us continue with this type of information at the intersection of law, politics, and increasingly the defense of our democracy. I'm Michael Popach. Until my next report. Can't get your fill of Legal af. Me neither. That's why we formed the Legal AF Substack. Every time we mention something in a hot take, whether it's a court filing or a oral argument, come over to the substack back. You'll find the court filing and the oral argument there, including a daily roundup that I do called wait for it Morning af. What else? All the other contributors from Legal A for there as well. We got some new reporting, we got interviews, we got ad free versions of the podcast and hot takes where Legal AF on Substack. Come over now to free subscribe.