Eminent Domain

During a Q&A session at an appearance at a Conversations on the Circle event, Justice Scalia schooled Al Franken on the finer points of legal ethics and word usage.

When [Norman] Pearlstine opened the floor for Q&A, Franken stood up in the back row and started talking about "judicial demeanor" and asking "hypothetically" about whether a judge should recuse himself if he had gone duck-hunting or flown in a private jet with a party in a case before his court.

I knew where this was going even before I read further...

First, Scalia lectured Franken, "Demeanor is the wrong word. You mean ethics." Then he explained, "Ethics is governed by tradition. It has never been the case where you recuse because of friendship."

I'm shocked that Franken would run his mouth about something without actually looking into the topic.

Franken still claims victory though...

"I think I got under his skin a little," Franken humbly told us.

Here's my favorite part from the New York Daily News...

...though Scalia had no idea who Franken was...

Yeah, Al. I'm sure you really shook Scalia's nerves. You were just another in a long line of jackass questioners that Scalia has dealt with during his public appearances.