Opinion ID: 1230380
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Pouring Gasoline on the Fire

Text: I am truly upset by the dissenting opinion. I have never read an opinion by a member of this Court that compared the opinion of fellow justices to a cruel act of human slaughter, like the Japanese attack on the United States of America at Pearl Harbor. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen such a vicious comparison in a judicial dissentanywhere. Tension between this Court and the other branches of government is not new. It is the Court's job to interpret the West Virginia Constitution, and almost every year or two, we are required to stand in the way of some action by the executive or the Legislature because their actions have violated the Constitution. There are two ways to react to the sparks that inevitably fly when this Court has to say no to an action by the executive or Legislature. One way is to try to understand the proper role of the Court, and to keep the discussion on a respectful and civil plane. The other way to react is to do what the dissent has doneto pour gasoline on the flames! It does not serve anyone for a judicial officer to invite dissension and open warfare between the judicial branch of government and other branches. Nor does mean-spirited ridicule of the majority's reasoning process serve any purpose. By exaggeration, misstatement, and inflammatory rhetoric, the dissent fuels and fans the flames of discord. This is just what our state does not need.