The Full Read · Article by Article
Thomas E. Johnston
Southern District of West Virginia · appt. Bush
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
Long tenure since 2007 with no documented recusal failures, disclosure violations, or upheld conduct complaints.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
74%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
Former chief judge with no record of defying higher courts or election-subversion involvement.
3Judicial Temperament
72%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
No reported incidents of incivility across a lengthy career; administrative leadership without controversy.
4Reason, Not Ideology
72%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
Established record shows conventional judicial reasoning with no documented ideological pattern.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
72%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
No documented instances of mishandling precedent or the record over a long tenure.
6Independence from Party
70%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
Bush appointee with no documented partisan conduct; party-blind neutral score applied.
7Personal Integrity
75%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No criminal, civil, or corruption matters on the public record; integrity presumed intact.
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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 →