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Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Eddins Denounces U.S. Supreme Court's 'Right-Wing' Majority

Associate Justice Todd Eddins issued a scathing critique of the federal bench in a ruling on a criminal case, comparing its originalism to discredited 19th-century jurisprudence.

3 items938 engagement27 comments Bluesky

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Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 3 items across 1 source · 9h ago. Quotes are verbatim.

In the Granillo v. State of Hawaii case, the Hawaii Supreme Court unanimously granted a new trial to a man convicted in 1990 using false hair and fiber evidence. Associate Justice Todd Eddins used the 91-page majority opinion to launch a detailed attack on the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority, arguing it resembles the jurisprudence of Dred Scott (1857) and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) rather than Brown v. Board of Education (1954). The opinion attracted national attention as an unusual example of a state judge explicitly warning that the federal court poses dangers to American democracy.

  • Justice Eddins embedded a sweeping critique of the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority within a routine criminal appeals opinion, comparing its originalism to Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson rather than Brown v. Board of Education.
  • The Hawaii Supreme Court unanimously reversed a 1990 conviction based on now-discredited hair and fiber evidence, but Eddins used the decision to argue the federal court itself poses dangers to democratic governance.
  • The opinion attracted national attention as an unusual example of a state judge explicitly challenging the legitimacy of the federal bench's ideological direction.
  • Eddins asserted that Hawaii's state constitution need not follow federal Supreme Court precedent, allowing the state court to protect due process more expansively than the conservative federal majority.

How it unfolded

  1. Reaction Story continues to circulate

    The article continued to circulate on Bluesky with continued engagement, referenced by @kimwehle.bsky.social and others discussing Eddins' message to the country.

  2. Reaction Coverage gains social media traction

    The Bulwark article went viral on Bluesky, reaching 267 likes and sparking discussion about Eddins' warning that the federal Supreme Court justices are a danger to democracy.

  3. Report Bulwark publishes analysis of Eddins critique

    The Bulwark reported that Justice Eddins included a damning indictment of the U.S. Supreme Court's right-wing majority, comparing its originalism to Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson rather than Brown v. Board of Education.

  4. 5 weeks quiet
  5. Event Hawaii Supreme Court issues Granillo opinion

    The Hawaii Supreme Court issued a 91-page majority opinion granting a new trial, finding that the prosecution used hair and fiber evidence that science has since proven false, violating the defendant's right to a fair trial.

  6. 1904 weeks quiet
  7. Event Granillo convicted in Maui

    A Maui man was convicted on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault and sentenced to forty years in prison.

What people are saying verbatim

“The Court that now defines federal due process does not honor the work of 1954. It revives the work of 1857. The work of 1896.”

Justice Todd Eddins, Associate Justice, Hawaii Supreme Court · The Bulwark · Jun 30

“ultimately depends on the premise that the federal constitutional doctrine controls this court's interpretation of [the Hawaii Constitution]. It does not.”

Justice Todd Eddins, Associate Justice, Hawaii Supreme Court · The Bulwark · Jun 30

“today's hubristic originalists use the same method to control modern life. The Court overrides what Congress passed. It overrides what the people chose. All to serve its own ends.”

Justice Todd Eddins, Associate Justice, Hawaii Supreme Court · The Bulwark · Jun 30

“The case before the Hawaii Supreme Court did not warrant such an impassioned condemnation of the U.S. Supreme Court. But Associate Justice Todd Eddins and his colleagues wanted to send a message to the country.”

The Bulwark, News publication · The Bulwark · Aug 3

Voices from the web unedited

  • The case before the Hawaii Supreme Court did not warrant such an impassioned condemnation of the U.S. Supreme Court. But Associate Justice Todd Eddins and his colleagues wanted to send a message to the country. ICYMI @kimwehle.bsky.social:

    thebulwark.comBluesky10h ago462▲view on Bluesky ↗

  • You could think, this Hawaii Supreme Court justice should mind his own business. Or you can recognize how bad the situation must be for him to have devoted a share of a decision to warning about the U.S. Supreme Court's hard-right turn.

    thebulwark.comBluesky4d ago267▲view on Bluesky ↗