# Replacing SCOTUS justices 'en masse' (e.g. if most were killed by a terrorist's bombing)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-scotus-justices-en-masse-e-g-if-most-were-killed-by-a-terrorists-bombing/616811>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-scotus-justices-en-masse-e-g-if-most-were-killed-by-a-terrorists-bombing/616811 "2012-03-26T02:48:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-scotus-justices-en-masse-e-g-if-most-were-killed-by-a-terrorists-bombing/616811/21 "2012-11-18T23:16:02Z")

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> [@ed\_anger](#):
>
> If we are going to ask these kinds of questions, might as well go the whole hog. What if DC was nuked on Inauguration day, and most of the Supreme Court, Congress, the President and VP are all killed?

As the newspeople never cease to remind us right before the State of the Union speech (when everyone is gathered together) there’s one unfortunate minor Cabinet member (like Education, Agriculture or Homeland Security) whose job it is to be somewhere else should the unthinkable happen.

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-scotus-justices-en-masse-e-g-if-most-were-killed-by-a-terrorists-bombing/616811/22 "2012-11-18T23:49:06Z")

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> [@kunilou](#):
>
> As the newspeople never cease to remind us right before the State of the Union speech (when everyone is gathered together) there’s one unfortunate minor Cabinet member (like **Education** , Agriculture or Homeland Security) whose job it is to be somewhere else should the unthinkable happen.

As demonstrated in the documentary, _Battlestar Galactica._

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**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replacing-scotus-justices-en-masse-e-g-if-most-were-killed-by-a-terrorists-bombing/616811/23 "2012-11-19T00:05:09Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> The Supreme Court is not that important on a day to day basis.

Well, on _some_ days it is very important.

If there are pivotal cases before the Court, the decisions which are made can tear apart the country and/or hugely influence life within it for decades, maybe ‘forever’'.

I would hope, and I think ‘the people’ would expect, that the Court would be “restarted” expeditiously (and with appointments to it having been made only as a result of sincere and informed discussion, with as much bipartisan support as possible). Phrased differently, I can’t believe that SCOTUS would be allowed, or accepted, to languish in a nonfunctional or dysfunctional manner for years.

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