The Full Read · Article by Article
Daniel Paul Collins
Ninth Circuit · appt. Trump
7/7
🥇 Fit for the Bench
1Ethics & Recusalcritical
72%★ earned
“No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause.” — Madison, Federalist No. 10
No documented disclosure violation or failure to recuse in the public record.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
74%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
No documented involvement in election subversion or defiance of higher courts.
3Judicial Temperament
63%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
LA Times (2020, via Reason/Volokh) reported colleagues found his early-tenure memos and objections combative and violative of a court rule.
4Reason, Not Ideology
70%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
Sharp dissents; the same 2020 reporting noted aggressive early moves, but opinions rest on legal argument, not overt grievance.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
72%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
No documented inconsistency with precedent or confirmation testimony; neutral score.
6Independence from Party
66%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
Trump appointee viewed as reliably conservative; no documented crossings cited, so slightly below neutral.
7Personal Integrity
75%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No documented criminal, civil, or personal-conduct scandal in the public record.
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Scores are Independent 2026’s own editorial read against the Seven Articles — ≥60% earns the star. The first two Articles are critical: fail Ethics & Recusal or Fidelity to Democracy and there is no seal, whatever else holds. Each Article carries its founding quote as the yardstick. On bias →