LA Times readers push back against pro-Armenian Senator’s Supreme Court attack

The Los Angeles Times has published a series of letters from readers responding to California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff’s criticism of the US Supreme Court and his calls for reforms to the institution.

Schiff, one of the court’s most vocal critics, has repeatedly condemned recent rulings, arguing that the Supreme Court has become overly politicized and is undermining democratic norms. However, the published letters reveal that his assessment is far from universally shared, with some readers challenging his characterization of the court and its decisions.

In one letter, Sam Chaidez of Mission Hills accused Schiff of applying a double standard when assessing the court.

“Senator Adam Schiff’s (D-Calif.) attack on the Supreme Court rests on a glaring double standard,” Chaidez wrote. He argued that Schiff overlooks cases in which the court ruled against President Donald Trump, including disputes involving tariffs, birthright citizenship, mail-in ballots, the removal of Federal Reserve officials and the deployment of the National Guard in Chicago.

“Those rulings directly undermine his bogus claim that the court is merely an instrument of one party’s agenda,” Chaidez wrote. “I must hand it to Schiff; he does a masterful job of telling partial truths to tell one big lie.”

Phil Barnes of San Pedro proposed requiring at least a six-member majority for Supreme Court rulings to take effect, arguing that frequent 5-4 decisions can reflect shifting political dynamics.

“A gentle ‘political breeze’ on that day could flip a 5-4 result, but if the majority instead holds a three-vote margin, we can be far more confident that the ruling carries significance,” Barnes wrote.

Scott Perley of Irvine rejected Schiff’s assessment that the Supreme Court is the central problem, arguing that responsibility lies primarily with Congress and the executive branch.

“Partisanship and dysfunction abound — but the guilty parties can be found primarily in Congress and the executive branch. The SCOTUS is the least of our problems,” Perley wrote.

By Vafa Guliyeva