Black-Robed Gang (court judges)
The court dress of judges in the United States usually consists of black robes. The term “black-robed gang” refers to a court—usually the United States Supreme Court—and is a thinly veiled reference to the white robes of the Ku Klux Klan.
“Black-robed Gang of Five” was cited in print in 1995 and referred to the majority conservative justices on the U. S. Supreme Court; “black-robed Gang of Nine” was cited in print in 2000 and referred to the entire SUpreme Court. “It’s that black robed gang in Washington with 2 vacancies for Bush to fill that needs discussion right now” was cited in 2005.
Wikipedia: Court dress
Judicial court dress
During the early history of the United States, the court dress of judges and practicing lawyers closely mirrored British court dress of the 18th century; both wore white powdered wigs and (typically) black robes in the lower courts, and in the higher ones, judges would wear red with black markings. The practice fell out of favor and died out by the mid-nineteenth century.
Today, generally judges of both state and federal courts are free to select their own courtroom attire. The most common choice is a plain black robe which covers the torso and legs, with sleeves. Female judges will sometimes add to the robe a plain white collar or lace jabot. Beneath the robes business attire is standard.
15 June 1995, Buffalo (NY) News, “Double assault on affirmative action” by Rod Watson:
Just when minorities peered into the surreal world of Bob Dole and Phil Gramm and thought things couldn’t get any worse, along comes Sandra Day O’Connor and Clarence Thomas and a black-robed Gang of Five.
18 June 2000, Palm Beach (FL) Post, “Cour case on abortion brings jitters” by Fran Hathaway, pg. 1E;
For now, however, Ms. Tamayo is focused on what she calls the “power of a few” as the black-robed Gang of Nine prepares another pronouncement on our laws ...
San Francisco Liberal
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Stop Roberts, in the Name of Love
I was away for Labor Day, so as much as I’d love to post a tribute to organized labor, I’m going to need to jump straight into a post about the Supremes. Diana Ross’ angelic voice, the harmonies, the classic songs… Oh wait, wrong Supremes. While the classic girl group would be much more pleasant to discuss, it’s that black robed gang in Washington with 2 vacancies for Bush to fill that needs discussion right now.
Google Books
The Stolen Masterpiece Tracker:
Memoirs of the FBI’s leading undercover art sleuth
By Thomas McShane with Dary Matera
Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books
2006
Pg. 94:
The black-robed gang in United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, ruled that silent bodyguards hired to provide muscle in the early stages of a criminal scheme are not necessarily along for the whole ride, and thus cannot be convicted of conspiracy without evidence that they were full partners in the entire plot.
Sarge Says
Indiana 1 – Democrats 0
This entry was posted on 28 April 2008 at 1749 and is filed under Politics.
(...)
Since that law passed muster with the Black Robed Gang (aka SCOTUS), you can be assured that yours will too.
The Foundation For a Free Society
Alexander Hamilton: The Founding Father of Big Government
By Jason Rink
On August 30, 2010
(...)
The Supreme Court was never intended to be the black-robed gang of dictators it has become, with ultimate power over the “constitutionality” of state legislation.
This Ain’t Hell
House: Military should be exempt from DC’s gun laws
June 14th, 2013
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COMMENTS
2/17 Air Cav Says:
June 15th, 2013 at 3:43 pm
(...) We are actually ruled by a black-robed gang known as the Supreme Court and, of course, lesser bodies collectively called the US Courts of Appeals. And the most frightening thing about what I am saying is that 99% of the American public has no clue what the hell I am talking about.
The LewRockwell.com Blog
Down With the Supremes
Posted by Lew Rockwell on June 15, 2013 10:59 AM
Given that no one non-evil is ever appointed to the Black-Robed Gang, and that even a rare decent decision is motivated by one pressure group as versus another, I should have known better than to praise the gene decision, which I had not then read.
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UPDATE from Lee Hamel: “I refer to the Supreme Court as the Nazguls, the black-robed demon wraiths from The Lord of the Rings.”