The Full Read · Article by Article
Haywood Stirling Gilliam Jr.
Northern District of California · appt. Obama
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 violations, gift issues, or failure-to-recuse matters in an otherwise low-profile tenure.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
74%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
No documented defiance of higher courts or election-subversion involvement; ordinary respect for constitutional order.
3Judicial Temperament
72%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
Limited public record; no reported reprimands or complaints regarding courtroom civility.
4Reason, Not Ideology
72%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
Thin public record; adjudication reflects routine reasoning without a documented ideological pattern.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
72%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
No documented misuse of precedent or misstatement of the record; limited public profile.
6Independence from Party
70%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
Obama appointee and former federal prosecutor; no documented evidence of partisan bias on the bench.
7Personal Integrity
75%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No documented corruption, criminal, or civil matters; clean personal 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 →