The Full Read · Article by Article
James Donald Peterson
Western District of Wisconsin · 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
Chief judge since 2017 with no documented disclosure violations, gift issues, conflicts, or failures to recuse.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
74%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
Long tenure with no documented defiance of higher courts; contested rulings framed as substantive legal decisions.
3Judicial Temperament
72%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
No reported reprimands or complaints regarding civility toward litigants, lawyers, or colleagues.
4Reason, Not Ideology
72%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
Decade-long record shows case-by-case reasoning; no documented pattern of ideology overriding law.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
72%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
No documented instances of misrepresenting precedent or the factual record.
6Independence from Party
71%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
Confirmed 70-24 with bipartisan support; no documented evidence of party-driven decision-making.
7Personal Integrity
75%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No criminal, civil, or corruption matters documented across his years on the bench.
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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 →