Yesterday, we reviewed the Justices’ agreement rates in civil cases for the years 2002 through 2007. Today, we’re looking at the agreement rates for the next six years – 2008 through 2013, with one change. Since we’re now getting into a period where nearly all the current members of the Court had begun their tenures, rather than presenting data several combinations at a time, we reorganize the data to compare a single Justice’s agreement rates with each other sitting Justice. Of course, this creates a bit of repetition in the tables – to make comparisons easy, each pairing is repeated on both Justice’s charts. In other words, the rate for “Burke-Karmeier” below is reported again on Justice Karmeier’s table as “Karmeier-Burke.”
We begin with Justice Burke. Justice Burke’s closest match in civil cases during these years was Justice Freeman – the two Justices voted together in 84.85% of divided civil cases. Next were Justice Theis at 67.5%, Justice Fitzgerald at 64%, Justice Garman at 62.12% and Justice Thomas at 60.66%. Justices Burke and Karmeier agreed in 58.21% of divided civil cases. Justices Burke and Kilbride agreed in only 36.36% of such cases.
The 84.85% agreement rates between Justices Freeman and Burke was Justice Freeman’s closest match also. Justices Theis (67.5%), Fitzgerald (61.54%) and Thomas (59.02%) were next. Justices Freeman and Garman agreed in 58.21% of divided civil cases, and Justices Freeman and Karmeier agreed 52.94% of the time. Justice Freeman’s agreement rate with Justice Kilbride was the same as Justice Burke’s – 36.36%.
Justice Garman’s closest match during these years was Justice Thomas – the two agreed in 87.1% of divided civil cases. Justices Karmeier (78.79%) and Theis (77.5%) were close behind. Justices Garman and Burke agreed in 62.12% of cases, and Justices Garman and Fitzgerald agreed in 61.54%. Justices Garman and Freeman agreed in 58.21% of civil cases, and Justice Garman agreed with Justice Kilbride 42.42% of the time.
Justice Kilbride’s closest match on the Court was Justice Fitzgerald, at 65.38%. Justice Kilbride voted with Justice Theis in 52.5% of cases, and with Justice Thomas in 50%. Justice Kilbride and Justice Garman’s agreement rate was 42.42%, and his agreement rate with Justice Karmeier was 40.3%. His lowest agreement rates during these years were with Justices Freeman and Burke – both 36.36%.
Justice Karmeier’s highest agreement rates were, not surprisingly, with the other Republican Justices – Justice Thomas at 80.65% and Justice Garman at 78.79%. Justices Karmeier and Theis agreed in 70% of divided civil cases. Justices Karmeier and Fitzgerald agreed 62.96% of the time. Justice Karmeier agreed with Justices Burke and Freeman 58.21% and 52.94% of the time, respectively. Justice Karmeier’s lowest agreement rate was with Justice Kilbride – 40.3%.
Justice Thomas’ closest matches were Justice Garman at 87.1% and Justice Karmeier at 80.65%. Justices Thomas and Fitzgerald had an agreement rate of 78.26%, and Justices Thomas and Theis were at 72.97%. Justices Thomas and Burke agreed in 60.66% of divided civil cases. His lowest agreement rates were with Justice Freeman (59.02%) and Kilbride (50%).
During these years, Justice Theis’ highest agreement rate was with Justice Garman (77.5%), followed by Justice Thomas (72.97%) and Justice Karmeier (70%). Justice Theis’ agreement rate with Justices Burke and Freeman was identical at 67.5%. Her lowest agreement rate was with Justice Kilbride at 52.5%.
Join us back here next week as we take the Court’s civil agreement rates up to the present day, and begin our trip through the data for divided criminal cases.
Image courtesy of Flickr by Bert Kaufmann (no changes).