The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court
Who is William O. Douglas from The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court and what is their importance?
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Douglas was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. An accomplished author, Douglas had written twenty books, many articles, and speeches. Douglas taught at Yale Law School before joining the Securities and Exchange Commission. Roosevelt appointed him to the Supreme Court in 1939. He survived one impeachment attempt after the vote on the Rosenbergs in 1953 and another one was launched by the Nixon administration. Douglas is usually portrayed as the antagonist of Burger. After Douglas had his stroke, he refused to resign from the Court. This made a tense situation for everyone, since he had to be wheeled in an out of conferences, he would fall asleep during sessions, and someone had to help him shuffle the papers. He was also incontinent and had to have a bag attached for his waste.