People who live in Wood houses shouldn't throw matches

by Peg O'Connell, political analyst and NC SPIN panelist, August 22, 2018.

Every first year law student, civil litigant, criminal defendant and anyone with good sense knows you don’t threaten a judge, and you especially don’t threaten a whole court full of judges.  Apparently, “judging” by his incendiary comments,  Dallas Woodhouse missed that day in civics class.

In case you missed it, Woodhouse is the executive director of the NC Republican Party who recently jumped into his own mouth with both feet by threatening the Supreme Court with impeachment if they were to have the audacity to rule against the constitutionality of a variety of election laws recently passed by the General Assembly. To make the offense even more egregious, he made these statements right after the West Virginia legislature impeached several of its Supreme Court justices.  You don’t have to be a political wizard to figure out the context for this whole scenario.

When judges take their oath of office, they swear to uphold the constitution and the laws of North Carolina.  This is their sacred duty.  Attempts to intimidate them or inappropriately influence them is intolerable and Woodhouse should know this.

The separation of powers is the genius of our state and federal constitutions and the balance this separation creates is what makes our democracy work well.  Each branch must observe and respect the role of the other two. It is not the job of one to defenestrate the others.

Woodhouse made his comments a week ago and the world of news has moved on to other things, but the role of the courts and an independent judiciary is an issue of supreme importance. We must all be watchful to make sure that things don’t get out of balance.