Statement on Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA (November 13, 2025) — The American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) notes with concern the Senate Judiciary Committee’s decision to schedule a subcommittee hearing next week focused on efforts to impeach so-called “rogue” federal judges. While it is certainly appropriate for the Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the operations of the federal judiciary, any suggestion of impeaching judges based on their decisions is simply wrong.

Over the course of its more than 75-year history, the College has fought to preserve and enhance the administration of justice through its support for an independent judiciary, decrying attacks on judges and defending the separation of powers as outlined in the Constitution.

It is a bedrock principle of our system of justice that judicial rulings be based on judges’ application of the law and the Constitution alone. Political efforts to diminish the independence of a judge’s decision-making process by threatening to impeach judges based on their judicial rulings endanger the rule of law and undermine public confidence in our democracy.

As Chief Justice John Roberts articulated in a statement earlier this year, “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

ACTL urges the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights to reconsider its plans for the upcoming hearing. Even if it leads to no legislative action, the mere existence of this kind of public theatre risks eroding the public’s respect for the independence of the judicial branch, which undermines the rule of law.

See the full statement here