Letter: End lifetime court appointments

With regard to your recent editorial on the bad choices for addressing the current imbalance on the Supreme Court, notably expanding the court and eliminating the filibuster, there is another possibility, which seems to be a better choice: imposing term limits on the justices.

Instead of lifetime appointments, justices could be limited to a specific length of time on the court. There is a diversity of opinions on the time frame, but this reform was endorsed by Justice Breyer, who proposed 18 years, and Chief Justice Roberts, who proposed 15 years.

I myself think 10 years is plenty of time. Look at how much damage the current justices have wrought in just one year. Judges could be replaced on a staggered system, so that every president has an opportunity to nominate a judge or two.

The lifetime appointment is another relic of the past when life expectancy was considerably shorter. The nine individuals on the court hold an amazing amount of power over the lives of all Americans. It's vital that the court's makeup reflect the values of all Americans.

Readers can find more information on this possibility of good reform online through the AmericanProgress.org or FixtheCourt websites.

Joanne Zienty

Wheaton