The Full Read · Article by Article
Jacqueline Scott Corley
Northern District of California · appt. Biden
7/7
🥇 Fit for the Bench
1Ethics & Recusalcritical
67%★ earned
“No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause.” — Madison, Federalist No. 10
A 2023 letter questioned her presiding over FTC v. Microsoft (Activision) while her son worked at Microsoft, raising Canon 2/3 appearance concerns; no formal finding resulted.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
74%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
No documented conduct indicating disregard for the constitutional order or precedent.
3Judicial Temperament
72%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
No documented complaints of incivility toward litigants or counsel.
4Reason, Not Ideology
72%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
No documented pattern of ideology displacing legal reasoning.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
71%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
No documented instances of misstating precedent, though the recusal question drew scrutiny.
6Independence from Party
70%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
No documented evidence of partisan favoritism on the bench.
7Personal Integrity
73%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No credible documented corruption or criminal matter; the conflict concern was an appearance issue, not adjudicated misconduct.
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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 →