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An oft discussed part of being a good judge is being able to give just and impartial opinions. Though less discussed, knowing when to abstain from a matter is just as important a sign of impartiality. From Reuters:
The judge assigned to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com (AMZN.O) has recused himself from the case, according to a court document filed on Wednesday.
Senior Judge John Coughenour was assigned to the case on Tuesday, when the antitrust lawsuit was filed against Amazon in federal court in Seattle. Coughenour, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan, did not cite a reason for dropping off the case in the court filing.
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Not giving a reason for recusal is much better than sitting on the case and being one of the 131 judges that failed to recuse themselves from cases where they held a financial interest. It is also much better than sitting on a case financed at least in part by people you’ve given speeches at fundraisers for.
We thank Judge Coughenour for his decision to recuse. Hopefully Clarence will take the hint and recuse from the upcoming case Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo that is tied to Koch brothers money.
Judge Assigned To US Antitrust Case Against Amazon Recuses Himself [Reuters]
Earlier: FTC Makes Good On Promise To Trust Bust By Going After Amazon
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Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.