The Full Read · Article by Article
Karen LeCraft Henderson
District of Columbia Circuit · appt. Bush
7/7
🥇 Fit for the Bench
1Ethics & Recusalcritical
73%★ earned
“No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause.” — Madison, Federalist No. 10
No documented disclosure lapse, recusal failure, or upheld conduct complaint in a long tenure; clean record.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
76%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
Long-serving institutionalist; profiled for defending separation of powers and the constitutional order across administrations.
3Judicial Temperament
73%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
No documented reprimands or civility complaints; reputation as a measured, workmanlike jurist.
4Reason, Not Ideology
73%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
Opinions grounded in legal analysis; no documented pattern of grievance-driven or result-oriented rhetoric.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
73%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
No documented instances of inconsistency with precedent or lack of candor in her published work.
6Independence from Party
71%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
Bush appointee who has both aligned with and diverged from co-partisan colleagues on the closely divided D.C. Circuit.
7Personal Integrity
76%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No documented corruption, criminal, or civil matter; unblemished personal record over decades 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 →