The Full Read · Article by Article
Paul Adam Engelmayer
Southern District of New York · 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 or recusal violation; a 2025 House impeachment resolution targeted a ruling, not any ethics finding.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
74%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
No documented defiance of higher courts; the impeachment push over a DOGE-access order reflects disagreement with a ruling, not misconduct.
3Judicial Temperament
72%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
No documented civility reprimand or misconduct finding; no basis to lower on temperament.
4Reason, Not Ideology
72%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
House resolution alleged bias but cited a ruling; no documented conduct evidence of ideology over reasoning, so scored neutral.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
72%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
No documented instance of mishandling precedent; limited public record on intellectual honesty specifically.
6Independence from Party
70%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
Obama appointee; party-blind rule bars penalizing for a politically charged ruling absent documented partisan conduct.
7Personal Integrity
75%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No documented criminal, civil, or corruption matter; personal-integrity record appears clean.
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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 →