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sexta-feira, 27 de fevereiro de 2026

THE TIRELESS STRUGGLE OF SCOTT ERIK STAFNE FOR JUSTICE: Pierce County Washington Superior Court - Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee, in Trust for Registered Holders of Long Beach Mortgage Trust 2006-5 Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2006-5 v Alvin White et al - White's Answer, Affirmative Defenses, Counterclaims, and Cross Claims


Pierce County Washington Superior Court - Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as Trustee, in Trust for Registered Holders of Long Beach Mortgage Trust 2006-5 Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2006-5 v Alvin White et al - White's Answer, Affirmative Defenses, Counterclaims, and Cross Claims

By Scott E Stafne



Abstract This pleading presentation documents an answer, affirmative defenses, and challenges to eviction proceedings that followed trustee’s sales conducted after federal judicial involvement affecting the White’s and his tenants' property rights. It raises structural constitutional questions concerning private real property rights under state law based on federalism and the lawful exercise of judicial power affecting the real property located in states under Article III of the United States Constitution. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Federalism requires that federal courts exercise authority only within the jurisdiction granted to them, particularly when adjudicating rights arising under state property law. This pleading asserts that federal judicial action affecting the defendant’s property occurred without proper adjudication of jurisdictional authority, thereby implicating fundamental constitutional protections. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< This presentation offers a concrete example of how federalism operates not as an abstract doctrine, but as a safeguard protecting citizens from the exercise of governmental power (both federal and state) beyond constitutional limits. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thid pleading was submitted to the Pierce County Superior Court for filing on February 19, 2026, but as of today (February 21, 2026) has not been filed.

Read on Academia.edu 


Tradução :

Resumo 


Esta apresentação de peça processual documenta uma contestação, defesas afirmativas e desafios a processos de despejo que se seguiram a vendas de fiduciários conduzidas após o envolvimento judicial federal que afetou os direitos de propriedade de White e de seus inquilinos. Levanta questões constitucionais estruturais relativas aos direitos de propriedade privada imobiliária sob a lei estadual, baseadas no federalismo e no exercício legal do poder judicial que afeta bens imóveis localizados nos estados, nos termos do Artigo III da Constituição dos Estados Unidos.

O federalismo exige que os tribunais federais exerçam autoridade apenas dentro da jurisdição que lhes foi concedida, particularmente ao adjudicar direitos decorrentes da lei de propriedade estadual. Esta petição afirma que a ação judicial federal que afetou a propriedade do réu ocorreu sem a devida adjudicação da autoridade jurisdicional, implicando, assim, proteções constitucionais fundamentais.

Esta apresentação oferece um exemplo concreto de como o federalismo opera não como uma doutrina abstrata, mas como uma salvaguarda que protege os cidadãos contra o exercício do poder governamental (tanto federal quanto estadual) além dos limites constitucionais.

Esta petição foi submetida ao Tribunal Superior do Condado de Pierce para arquivamento em 19 de fevereiro de 2026, mas até hoje (21 de fevereiro de 2026) não foi protocolada.






 

Judicial and Administrative Integrity: A Comparative Analysis Between the Doctrine of Natural Justice in Cooper v Board of Works ( England) and Foreclosure Nullities in the Alvin White's Case ( United States) and Attorneys Prerogatives

Judicial and Administrative Integrity: A Comparative Analysis Between the Doctrine of Natural Justice in Cooper v Board of Works ( England) and Foreclosure Nullities in the Alvin White's Case ( United States)   and Attorneys Prerogatives 



This AI GEMINI & CHATGPT comparative analysis highlights a growing global concern: the divergence between the formal "Rule of Law" and the practical reality of "Decisional Opacity." 

By bridging 19th-century British common law with 2026 U.S. litigation and Brazilian constitutional precedents, we can see a universal struggle to maintain judicial integrity against administrative and systemic pressures

Judicial Integrity • Anti-Corruption • Apparent Bias • Bangalore Principles • Article 6 ECHR • ECtHR • Judicial Vetting • Procedural Fairness • Rule of Law • Human Rights  • U.S  foreclosure  • STF ADI  Attorneys Prerogatives 

Executive Summary 

​The maintenance of judicial and administrative integrity represents the fundamental pillar upon which the contemporary Rule of Law rests.

 The historical transition from state arbitrariness to the rule of law was marked by the crystallization of procedural principles that guarantee individuals protection against unilateral acts of public power that affect their liberty or property.

 This report analyzes the evolution of the "Rule against Bias" and the right to an adversarial process, drawing a parallel between the 19th-century British-Australian paradigm of Cooper v Board of Works and contemporary challenges to judicial integrity in the United States, specifically in the foreclosure case of Alvin White and Kimberly Rojo. 

Through the theoretical lens provided by Zia Akhtar and the technical contestation of Scott Erik Stafne, it examines how decisional opacity—exemplified by the unreasoned orders of  the Washington Supreme Court.  and US. Supreme Court—threatens the foundations of public confidence in justice.

This article establishes a legal parallel between the historical precedent of Cooper v. Board of Works (1863) and the contemporary case of Alvin White & Church of the Gardens (2026). 

The analysis focuses on the erosion of the "Right to be Heard" (Audi Alteram Partem) and judicial integrity in the face of what is termed  "Denial of due process of law"  and the "Shadow Docket" and "Decisional Silence." 

It examines how the omission of reasoning and the violation of the prerogatives of the legal profession—under the perspective of the Bangalore Principles and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the STF—threaten the Rule of Law by permitting expropriations without due adversarial process.

Table of Contents

 * Introduction: The Pillar of Administrative and Judicial Integrity

 * Zia Akhtar’s Theory and the Rule Against Bias (British-Australian)

 * From 1863 to 2026: From the Cooper Case to the Alvin White Case  

 * The "Shadow Docket" and Decisional Opacity in SCOTUS

 * Violation of Attorney Prerogatives and Human Rights

 * International and Comparative Precedents (STF, SCOTUS, ECHR)

 * Conclusion: The Regression of Procedural Justice

 * Bibliographical References

Content Highlight

The "Garden of Eden" Argument in Modern Foreclosure:

Just as God gave Adam the chance for a defense before the sentence, the Washington system supposedly fails by allowing foreclosures based on censored records and irregular procedural interventions.

 

The Violation of Lawyer Prerogatives:

The suppression of records and the refusal to consider court-ordered submissions constitute a direct violation of the lawyer's prerogatives to present evidence and ensure the parity of arms. 

Internationally, this is seen as an affront to the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (Havana, 1990).


New Updates and Precedents

To enrich the article, the following points regarding procedural progress and precedents from superior courts have been included:


1. Alvin White Case Update (February 2026)

The petition filed by Scott Erik Stafne on February 16, 2026, with the Washington Supreme Court argues that allowing the intervention of Deutsche Bank without operative pleadings violates the party-presentation principle. The case awaits a decision on discretionary review, challenging the neutrality of the state's judicial retirement system.


2. Precedents on Attorney Prerogatives (STF - Brazil)

 * ADI 7231 (2024/2025): The Supreme Federal Court reaffirmed the inviolability of professional secrecy and the prerogatives of lawyers against invasive measures. 

The Federal Supreme Court (STF), in 2025, reaffirmed the prerogatives of lawyers by declaring unconstitutional provisions of Law 14,365/2022 which, due to a legislative error, revoked professional immunity and restricted access to case files. 

The decision (ADI 7231) restored inviolability for statements made in the exercise of the profession and guaranteed the right to access the records.

Main Highlights (2025–2026):

Professional Immunity: The STF invalidated the revocation of provisions that protected lawyers from crimes such as insult, defamation, or contempt during the exercise of the profession.

Access to Case Files: The right of broad access to elements of evidence was reaffirmed, even in investigative proceedings, in alignment with STF Binding Precedent (Súmula Vinculante) No. 14.

Action by the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB): The Brazilian Bar Association actively operates before the STF to ensure compliance with these prerogatives, including monitoring judgments to prevent violations.

Legislative Errors: The Court recognized a formal defect in the approval of the law that removed the prerogatives, restoring the original wording of the Statute of Advocacy.

The understanding is that prerogatives are fundamental guarantees for the full right of defense of the citizen, not merely privileges of the professional class.

The exclusion of lawyers from the decision-making process (as occurred in the White case) is equivalent to an absolute procedural nullity due to the restriction of the defense.

Comparison: STF (ADI 7231) × Scott Erik Stafne (due process / judicial integrity)

1) What the Brazilian Supreme Court did (ADI 7231) — “guarantees of defense, not privileges”

In the Brazilian case, the STF invalidated (because of a defect in the legislative process) the portion of Law 14,365/2022 that had revoked §§1 and 2 of art. 7 of Law 8,906/1994 (Statute of the OAB/Advocacy), thereby restoring:

professional immunity for statements made in the exercise of legal practice; and the right of access / inspection of case files, as a structural condition for the adversarial system and full defense. 

LexML · 1

The institutional framing is that these prerogatives are fundamental guarantees for the citizen’s defense, not merely “class privileges.” 

OAB ·Supreme Court reinstates lawyer's immunity.  http://www.oab.org.br/noticia/63167/stf-restabelece-a-imunidade-do-advogado

2) What Scott (in general terms) has been arguing/denouncing — “when courts refuse to judge”

In Scott Erik Stafne’s materials (pleadings and public texts), the axis is: a court cannot evade the duty to decide essential issues (jurisdiction, neutrality/impartiality, validity of the adjudicative authority, procedural regularity) and at the same time penalize or procedurally choke the party/lawyer for insisting on those issues.

Two recurring points:

(a) “Refusal to judge” structural issues (jurisdiction / independent judge)

Scott’s public writing frames the problem as the system losing the appearance of justice when serious allegations are met with institutional silence or closure rather than transparent adjudication. 

Substack

(b) Procedural barriers that become “practical censorship” of the right to defense

Concrete examples appear in Washington appellate filing contexts (e.g., clerk rejection / word-limit and refiling dynamics), illustrating how procedure can operate as a barrier to presenting complex constitutional and record-based arguments. 

Washington Courts judgments 

3) Direct parallels STF ↔ Scott  Stafne the “mirrored” core

Parallel 1 — Access to the record/evidence = the material condition of the adversarial process

STF: restores access to case files as a core defense guarantee by restoring the revoked statutory provisions. 

LexML

Scott: argues that without meaningful access and without reasoned decisions on central objections, the process becomes “appearance of adjudication”—form without substance. 

Substack · 1

Bridge sentence (ready to paste):

“Without effective access to the record—and without a reasoned decision on the central objections—due process is reduced to ritual.”

Parallel 2 — Professional immunity = defense without intimidation

STF: reinforces that lawyers must be able to argue in the exercise of the profession without criminalization triggered by advocacy speech. 

LexML · 1

Scott: describes a pattern in which challenging structural issues is met with institutional resistance; the practical effect can be chilling or suppressing advocacy. 

Substack · 1

Bridge sentence:

“Professional immunity is not a ‘license to offend’; it is the minimum shield required so advocacy can confront power without fear of retaliation.”

Parallel 3 — “System error” and the institutional duty to correct

STF: identifies a distortion of parliamentary will caused by a legislative-process error and corrects it via formal unconstitutionality. 

LexML

Scott: presses for the system to subject itself to due-process accountability, rather than using procedure to avoid confronting foundational issues. 

Substack · 1

4) A key difference (to keep the comparison precise)

STF / ADI 7231: abstract constitutional review; a “top-down” remedy—invalidating the defective revocation and restoring the guarantees. 

LexML

Scott: litigation in concrete cases, where the conflict often becomes a “procedural battlefield” over whether the court will actually adjudicate the structural issues and allow full presentation of the defense. 

Tribunais de Washington · 1

STF ADI 7231 - Judgment syllabus (ementa) — 

EMENTA (literal English translation)

**“SYLLABUS DIRECT ACTION OF UNCONSTITUTIONALITY. INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE BILL APPROVED AND THE FINAL WORDING OF THE LAW. REVOCATION OF LEGAL PROVISIONS DUE TO A MATERIAL DRAFTING ERROR. ABSENCE OF DELIBERATION BY THE NATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE REVOCATION OF THE PROVISIONS. ERROR ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, BY THE FEDERAL SENATE, AND BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. DISTORTION OF THE PARLIAMENT’S EXPRESSION OF WILL. VIOLATION OF DUE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS (ART. 59 ET SEQ. OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION) AND OF THE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLE (ART. 1, FC). FORMAL UNCONSTITUTIONALITY. GRANTING OF THE CLAIM.

The text of Law No. 14,365/2022, insofar as it revokes §§ 1 and 2 of art. 7 of Law No. 8,906/1994 (OAB Statute), was not the object of deliberation by Congress and, therefore, does not represent parliamentary will, because the revocation resulted from a material error in the preparation of the law’s final wording.

An error in the lawmaking process that distorts the expression of the Legislative Branch’s will gives rise to formal unconstitutionality, for violating due legislative process as provided in art. 59 et seq. of the Federal Constitution, and the democratic principle (art. 1, caput, FC).

The STF’s review of legislative processing is exceptional and limited only to situations in which there is a constitutional basis for judicial intervention. In the present case, the Legislative Branch itself ruled out any allegation that this is an internal parliamentary matter (ato interna corporis), so that this Court may correct the legislative-process error that led to the revocation of §§ 1 and 2 of Law No. 8,906/1994.

The direct action of unconstitutionality is granted to declare formally unconstitutional art. 2 of Law No. 14,365/2022, exclusively insofar as it revokes §§ 1 and 2 of art. 7 of Law No. 8,906/1994.”** 

 Download 

https://portal.stf.jus.br/processos/downloadPeca.asp?id=15379313537&ext=.pdf

STF process  : 

https://portal.stf.jus.br/processos/detalhe.asp?incidente=6464545


3. European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) - Article 6

 * Case of Ramos Nunes de Carvalho e Sá v. Portugal: The European Court reinforced that judicial independence is not only subjective but must be apparent to the "reasonable observer." 

"The Grand Chamber held a violation of Art. 6(1) concerning the impartiality and independence of the domestic proceedings regarding the dismissal of the applicant from his post. It found that the majority of the HCJ consisted of non-judicial staff appointed directly by the executive and the legislative authorities. The Court found that the applicant’s allegations regarding personal bias by certain HCJ members were founded, since a member of the HCJ played a role in the preliminary inquiry into the applicant’s case and in making the proposal to the HCJ.

The Court ruled that the Higher Administrative Court (HAC) failed to carry out a sufficient review of the proceedings at the HCJ, since it did not attempt to consider the applicant’s allegation of the lack of impartiality and independence in those proceedings. Moreover, there were serious mismatches between the advanced and actual grounds of review. While the HAC stated that the applicant had not contested the facts forming the grounds for his dismissal, the applicant had argued that the HCJ had not substantiated its findings since it had not referred to the specific circumstances of his case. 

Again, this is an important decision for the one under review, in that, as in the latter, it stresses the importance of a judicial review that meets the fair trial requirements contained in the Convention. In this case, since the HAC failed to carry out a sufficient review of the proceedings at the HCJ, this led to a violation of Article 6(1)." 

https://cjc.eui.eu/data/data/data?idPermanent=466&triial=1

Decisions without any notice to the plaintiff  and Unreasoned decisions (such as the unsigned orders mentioned in Stafne's text) violate the  due process and the right to a fair trial.

4. SCOTUS and the "Shadow Docket"

 * Institutional Criticism: The increasing use of emergency orders without explanation (such as Justice Elena Kagan's denial in the Church of the Gardens case) has been the subject of criticism by members of the Court themselves (e.g., Justice Sotomayor’s dissent in emergency jurisdiction cases), pointing out that the lack of transparency undermines the democratic legitimacy of the Judiciary.


Where the “foundation” is (institutional criticism: lack of transparency/justification and effect on legitimacy)

A direct foundation (primary source) is Justice Sotomayor’s dissent (in the emergency/shadow docket context), explicitly criticizing the Court’s refusal to justify extraordinary decisions — which supports the thesis of “lack of transparency” as an institutional problem.

Case / number (emergency order + dissent)

No. 24A1153 — Department of Homeland Security, et al. v. D. V. D., et al. (Order of July 3, 2025)

Excerpt (Sotomayor, dissenting — criticism of lack of justification):

“The Court’s continued refusal to justify its extraordinary decisions in this case … is indefensible.”

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1153_2co3.pdf

Another short excerpt (same dissent; criticism of the “content-free/no guidance” mode):

“…it refuses to explain what such conformity would involve.”

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1153_2co3.pdf

Official link (PDF — SCOTUS):

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1153_2co3.pdf

Alternative link (reproduced text — Cornell LII):

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/24A1153

Important observation: the phrase “undermines the democratic legitimacy of the Judiciary” usually appears as a synthesis in academic/journalistic commentary about the shadow docket. 

The textual anchor (primary source) is in passages like those above (refusal to justify / absence of explanation / lack of guidance), which support the conclusion about impact on legitimacy, but the exact wording can vary depending on the secondary author.

Link : https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1153_2co3.pdf


GEMINI AI COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: 


​1. The Full Text of the Core Theory: Zia Akhtar on "The Rule against Bias: The impact of the Judicial Code of Conduct in England and the need for impartiality in European Court rulings". 


Cooper v Wandsworth Board of Works (1863) 14 CB (NS) 180 (CP); (1863) 143 ER 414

A person has the right to be heard before steps adverse to his property rights were taken

Facts

The section 76 the Metropolis Local Management Act, 18 & 19 Vict. c. 120, empowers the district board to alter or demolish a house, where the builder has neglected to give notice of his intention to build seven days before proceeding to lay or dig the foundation
The plaintiff gave a notice 5 days in advance
The Board of Works ordered, without notice to him, to demolish the house of the plaintiff which was in the course of erection
The plaintiff claimed that the district board of works had no such power to demolish his house without notice to him or giving him an opportunity of being heard.
The defendants argued that the 76th section gave them a discretion, against the exercise of which there was no appeal, except to the Metropolitan board of works under s.221; and that inasmuch as they were acting ministerially, and not judicially, they were not bound to give any notice

Issue

Did the plaintiff have a right to be heard before a decision to demolish his property was made?

​The following is the integral abstract and core argument from Zia Akhtar's work, which serves as the theoretical basis for evaluating modern judicial conduct : 

Abstract: "The UK Guide to Judicial Conduct" issued in March 2013 sets out the ground rules for judges to refrain from any activity that may give rise to bias. 

These include specific guidelines that are set out to preclude such behaviour which may lead to the perception of bias by one of the parties to the case. 

It sets out the six principles known as the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct endorsed at the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Commission at Geneva in April 2003,  because it was carried out without prior notice or opportunity for defense. 

Justice Byles famously invoked the "Garden of Eden" argument to demonstrate that the right to be heard is a primordial law : 

​"The laws of God and man both give the party an opportunity to make his defence, if he has any. I remember to have heard it observed by a very learned man... that even God himself did not pass sentence upon Adam before he was called upon to make his defence."  

Read the full article: 

​AKHTAR, Zia. The Rule against Bias: The impact of the Judicial Code of Conduct in England and the need for impartiality in European Court rulings. Civil Procedure Review, v. 5, n. 3, p. 20–40, 2014. Available at: https://www.civilprocedurereview.com/revista/article/view/86. Accessed on: Feb 16, 2026.

​2. The Contemporary Crisis: Alvin White and the Church of the Gardens

​Mirroring the arbitrary demolition in Cooper, the case of Alvin White, Kimberly Rojo, and the Church of the Gardens in Washington State, USA, presents what attorney Scott Erik Stafne describes as a "judicial demolition" of property rights. 

​The Petition for Discretionary Review (Wash. Supreme Court) challenges the exercise of judicial power in foreclosure-restraint proceedings under RCW 61.24.130.

 Stafne argues that the lower courts authorized a nonjudicial foreclosure while committing manifest violations of due process

​Intervention Without Pleadings: The purported beneficiary (Deutsche Bank) was permitted to intervene without filing operative pleadings or responsive answers as required by CR 24(c), depriving the owners of an adversarial framework. 

​Structural Bias in Funding: The petition raises a threshold constitutional challenge concerning the Washington judicial-retirement system and institutional financial incentives created by 2007 reforms, which reportedly link court funding to outcomes that favor institutional lenders. 

​Suppression of Records: It is alleged that the trial court failed to file or consider court-ordered submissions, essentially deciding the case on a censored record. 

Read Stafne's Petition on Academia.edu:

Washington Supreme Court - Church and White v Clear Recon Corp v Deutsche Bank - Petition for Discretionary Review By Scott E Stafne

This Petition for Discretionary Review asks the Washington Supreme Court to confront threshold constitutional questions governing the exercise of judicial power in foreclosure-restraint proceedings under RCW 61.24.130. Petitioners Church of the Gardens and property owners Alvin White and Kimberly Rojo contend that the courts below authorized a nonjudicial foreclosure while permitting intervention without operative pleadings, declining to adjudicate preserved challenges to judicial neutrality, and affirming judgment without determining whether court-ordered submissions were filed or considered. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Relying on federal due-process doctrine, Washington constitutional provisions, civil-procedure rules, and the party-presentation principle, the Petition argues that these departures from adversarial adjudication undermine both the legality and the appearance of justice in proceedings involving the taking of real property. The filing further raises structural questions concerning judicial-retirement systems and institutional financial incentives that, Petitioners contend, required adjudication before judicial power could lawfully be exercised. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Because the issues recur across foreclosure litigation statewide and implicate public confidence in Washington’s courts, the Petition requests supervisory review to clarify the procedural and constitutional limits governing trustee-sale restraint actions.

https://www.academia.edu/164466372/Washington_Supreme_Court_Church_and_White_v_Clear_Recon_Corp_v_Deutsche_Bank_Petition_for_Discretionary_Review?source=swp_share


​3. The Shadow Docket and Decisional Opacity

​The crisis is further evidenced by the treatment of the case at the level of the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS). 

US Supreme Court - Church of the Gardens & White v. Quality Loan Services Corporation of Washington - Applicant Church and White's Supplemental Brief regarding application for stay

By Scott E Stafne


This Supplemental Brief was filed in the Supreme Court of the United States in Church of the Gardens et al. v. Quality Loan Services Corp. of Washington et al., No. 25A842, with regard to the application by the Church and proptery owner seeking emergency relief from Justice Elena Kagan. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The materials respond to opposition briefing filed by Deutsche Bank National Trust Company in the Ninth Circuit after that court expressly concluded it lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate the stay request <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Applicants argue that foreclosure proceedings were permitted to proceed before any federal court adjudicated threshold questions of Article III jurisdiction, standing to enforce promissory notes under Washington law, and institutional judicial neutrality. The filings frame these issues not as routine foreclosure disputes or discretionary recusal questions, but as structural constitutional inquiries implicating separation of powers, federalism, due process, and the limits of judicial authority under Articles III and VI of the Constitution. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Supplemental Brief further applies Supreme Court precedent governing jurisdiction, judicial impartiality, irreparable harm, and emergency stays, including Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Environment, Tumey v. Ohio, Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., and Coinbase, Inc. v. Bielski. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Together, the Declaration and Brief seek to preserve appellate review before allegedly irreversible transfers of real property occur, raising questions about whether courts may permit deprivation of title before resolving their own constitutional authority to act.

https://www.academia.edu/150141594/US_Supreme_Court_Church_of_the_Gardens_and_White_v_Quality_Loan_Services_Corporation_of_Washington_Applicant_Church_and_Whites_Supplemental_Brief_regarding_application_for_stay?source=swp_share


Despite the massive and irreparable risk of losing a home and a community church, the court's response has been characterized by unreasoned, unsigned orders—a hallmark of the "Shadow Docket".

​Specifically, an order involving Justice Elena Kagan (as found in the archives of Academia.edu) demonstrates the procedural "limbo" faced by petitioners:

SUPREME COURT. Church of the Gardens & White v. Quality Loan Services Corporation of Washington - Denial of Application for injunction pending appeal, submitted to Justice Kagan, By Scott E Stafne.

Available at: https://www.academia.edu/150242366/US_Supreme_Court_Church_of_the_Gardens_and_White_v_Quality_Loan_Services_Corporation_of_Washington_Denial_of_Application_for_injunction_pending_appeal_submitted_to_Justice_Kagan?source=swp_share


The plaintiff filled a petition for Discretionary Review 

Washington Supreme Court - Church and White v Clear Recon Corp v Deutsche Bank - Petition for Discretionary Review

By Scott E Stafne

Published on February 16th, 2026, on  Academia.edu 

Abstract 

This Petition for Discretionary Review asks the Washington Supreme Court to confront threshold constitutional questions governing the exercise of judicial power in foreclosure-restraint proceedings under RCW 61.24.130. Petitioners Church of the Gardens and property owners Alvin White and Kimberly Rojo contend that the courts below authorized a nonjudicial foreclosure while permitting intervention without operative pleadings, declining to adjudicate preserved challenges to judicial neutrality, and affirming judgment without determining whether court-ordered submissions were filed or considered. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Relying on federal due-process doctrine, Washington constitutional provisions, civil-procedure rules, and the party-presentation principle, the Petition argues that these departures from adversarial adjudication undermine both the legality and the appearance of justice in proceedings involving the taking of real property. The filing further raises structural questions concerning judicial-retirement systems and institutional financial incentives that, Petitioners contend, required adjudication before judicial power could lawfully be exercised. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Because the issues recur across foreclosure litigation statewide and implicate public confidence in Washington’s courts, the Petition requests supervisory review to clarify the procedural and constitutional limits governing trustee-sale restraint actions.

Read the full Petition on Academia.edu 

https://www.academia.edu/164466372/Washington_Supreme_Court_Church_and_White_v_Clear_Recon_Corp_v_Deutsche_Bank_Petition_for_Discretionary_Review?source=swp_share

From the perspective of a senior constitutional jurist, such unreasoned denials in the face of proven procedural nullities (like the lack of pleadings from intervenors) violate the Bangalore Principle of Competence and Diligence (Value 6), which requires judges to perform duties with transparency to maintain public confidence. 

​4. Applying the Bangalore Principles to US Case Studies




​5. Conclusions and Juridical Implications


​The parallel between the 1863 British Australian precedent and the 2026 White petition reveals a regression in judicial integrity. 

When a system allows the "taking" of property or custody based on unfiled pleadings and unreasoned orders, it ceases to be a court of law and becomes an instrument of administrative force. 

As Zia Akhtar concludes, the "inference of bias" must be precluded by a clear separation of powers and the absolute adherence to the standard of the "informed observer."

​6. Bibliographic References (ABNT and Blueprint)

​ABNT Format

United Nations : Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers
The Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Havana, Cuba


MINDD DEFEND YOUR RIGHTS: INTERNATIONAL A Global Anti-Bias and Anti-Corruption Manual: THE BATTLE AGAINST CORRUPTION: Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct : The Rule against Bias: The impact of the Judicial Code of Conduct in England and the need for impartiality in European Court rulings by Zia Akhtar; 


​AKHTAR, Zia. The Rule against Bias: The impact of the Judicial Code of Conduct in England and the need for impartiality in European Court rulings. Civil Procedure Review, v. 5, n. 3, p. 20–40, 2014. Available at: https://www.civilprocedurereview.com/revista/article/view/86. Accessed on: Feb 16, 2026.

CLAYTON UTZ. Public Law Essentials: Procedural fairness. Sydney: Clayton Utz, 2024. Available at: https://www.claytonutz.com/insights/2024/december/public-law-essentials-procedural-fairness. Accessed on: Feb 16, 2026.

STAFNE, Scott Erik. Washington Supreme Court - Church and White v Clear Recon Corp v Deutsche Bank - Petition for Discretionary Review. Washington State Supreme Court, 2026. Available at:(https://www.academia.edu/164466372/Washington_Supreme_Court_Church_and_White_v_Clear_Recon_Corp_v_Deutsche_Bank_Petition_for_Discretionary_Review?source=swp_share). Accessed on: Feb 16, 2026.


UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME. Commentary on the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct. The Hague: UNODC, 2007. Available at: https://track.unodc.org/track/en/track/resourcehub/ji/2007/commentary_on_the_bangalore_principles_of_judicial_conduct.html

​U.S. SUPREME COURT. Church of the Gardens & White v. Quality Loan Services Corporation of Washington - Denial of Application for injunction pending appeal, submitted to Justice Kagan, By Scott E Stafne.

ORDEM DOS ADVOGADOS DO BRASIL OAB ·Supreme Court reinstates lawyer's immunity. 


BRAZILIAN SUPREME COURT STF / ADI 7231: ATTORNEYS PREROGATIVES 

Supreme Court invalidates rule that revoked lawyers' rights due to legislative error. The misguided repeal affected prerogatives such as access to legal proceedings and professional immunity.


ADI 7231 Decision 


STF proceedings : 


Blueprint Format


​Case Reference: Cooper v Board of Works for the Wandsworth District (1863) 143 ER 414.
​Core Rule: Natural Justice requires the Hearing Rule (Audi Alteram Partem) as a divine and human law.

Modern Challenge: White v. Clear Recon Corp (2026) - Constitutional threshold questions on structural judicial bias and non-adversarial intervention.

Ethics Standard: Bangalore Principles (2003) - Values of Impartiality, Integrity, and Propriety as pillars of the Rule of Law.







THE EROSION OF THE RULE OF LAW : AI's Comparative Analysis : The normalization of exceptions and the erosion of procedural guarantees: Everton Luis Körbes ( BRAZIL) vs. Scott Erik Stafne (USA ) : "due process" / “procedural fairness” - Same diagnosis, different “battlefield”



CHATGPT AI ANALYSIS 


Comparative analysis: Körbes vs. Scott Erik Stafne (due process / “procedural fairness”)


1) Same diagnosis, different “battlefield”


Körbes (Brazilian procedural frame): he’s describing a systemic drift inside everyday adjudication: exceptional procedural tools becoming routine, with “efficiency” and “urgency” used as a blanket justification. 

Stafne (US constitutional / foreclosure frame): he tends to focus on concrete procedural failures and structural incentives in foreclosure-related litigation—especially situations where courts decide while not filing/considering required submissions, affirming on appeal without checking whether omissions were clerical/court failure rather than party default, and broader concerns about jurisdiction and adjudicative legitimacy. 

Bridge: both are warning about “due process becoming optional”—Körbes by normalization of exception; Stafne by decisions that proceed as if missing presentations/objections don’t matter.

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2) “Efficiency” vs. “incentives”


Körbes: the rhetorical engine is efficiency/urgency (“celerity”) displacing guarantees—contradictory reasoning, full defense, predictability. That’s a critique of a culture of speed and template reasoning (“standardized foundations” + “empty concepts”). 

Stafne: he often frames the problem as institutional incentives and refusal to truly adjudicate (or to “judge”) the disputed legal issues—especially where courts dispose of matters without engaging the parties’ properly raised constitutional/statutory objections (party-presentation principle / due process). 

Bridge: Körbes attacks the excuse (“efficiency”); Stafne attacks the mechanism (procedural omissions + institutional dynamics that reward disposal over adjudication).

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3) “Empty principles” vs. “missing record / missing consideration”


Körbes: he criticizes decisions that invoke big words (“dignity,” “proportionality,” “social function”) as if saying the label replaces the reasoning burden, and warns that this turns judging into something closer to personal choice. 

Stafne: his recurring due-process complaint is even more basic: the court resolves the matter without filing/considering what it ordered to be filed/considered (or without addressing the parties’ presentations), and appellate review proceeds without verifying whether the record failure was on the court side. 

Bridge: Körbes = rhetorical dilution of reasoning; Stafne = procedural disappearance of the parties’ arguments (a “record/consideration” problem). In practice, these can converge: when arguments “don’t enter” the decision, judges tend to fill the vacuum with abstract principles.


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4) Legitimacy test: “faithfulness to rite” vs. “lawful exercise of judicial power”


Körbes: legitimacy comes from fidelity to the procedural rite—the path matters, not just the result. If exception becomes rule, oversight weakens and review becomes difficult. 

Stafne: legitimacy is tested by lawful exercise of judicial power (jurisdiction, separation-of-powers constraints, and due-process safeguards), especially in property contexts like foreclosure where rights can be lost quickly. You see that constitutional framing in his public writing and court-linked materials. 

Bridge: both say: a decision can be “effective” and still be illegitimate if the process/jurisdictional discipline is broken.


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5) What you can extract as a shared “thesis” (useful for your work)


If you want a single comparative thesis that matches both authors:

> When courts treat procedural guarantees as negotiable—whether by normalizing exceptional measures (Körbes) or by deciding without properly receiving/considering party presentations (Stafne)—the result is opacity, weak reviewability, and erosion of trust in adjudication. 


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6) Key differences (important so the comparison stays fair)


Level of abstraction: Körbes is writing a general institutional critique; Stafne’s claims are usually case-anchored, often tied to foreclosure procedure and specific adjudicative failures. 

Core villain: Körbes → “efficiency-as-pretext + exception-as-routine.” Stafne → “courts failing to adjudicate presentations + incentive structure + jurisdictional legitimacy questions.” 

Vocabulary: Körbes uses Brazilian-process language (contraditório, ampla defesa, segurança jurídica). Stafne often uses US constitutional/procedural language (due process, party presentation principle, separation of powers, judicial power legitimacy). 

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If you want, I can also format this into a side-by-side comparison table (Körbes claim → parallel Stafne claim → practical example → quoteable “bridge sentence” for your blog), keeping everything tight and citation-ready.

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Structured comparison table – Normalization of the exception (Körbes) vs. Due process violations (Stafne)


Legal axis Éverton Luís Körbes Scott Erik Stafne Comparative synthesis


1. Normalization of the exceptional :Körbes states that exceptional measures have begun to be applied automatically, ceasing to be an exception. Stafne maintains that courts decide without complying with essential procedural requirements, treating violations as routine. Both describe the transformation of the exceptional into routine, which weakens due process.

2. Efficiency as justification: Körbes alleges that “efficiency” is used as a generic argument to relativize guarantees. Stafne argues that courts prioritize the quick closure of cases to the detriment of a complete adjudication of legal issues. Both identify efficiency as an instrumental value used to justify procedural restrictions.

3. Weakening of adversarial proceedings : Körbes says that the adversarial process is postponed and full defense is reduced to a bureaucratic formality. Stafne claims that courts ignore or fail to analyze the parties’ arguments and filings. Both point to the practical denial of the right to be heard, a central element of due process.

4. Decisions based on abstract or incomplete grounds:  Körbes criticizes decisions based on vague concepts such as proportionality without concrete reasoning. Stafne criticizes decisions that do not analyze the merits of the constitutional allegations presented. Both denounce the emptying-out of real judicial reasoning.

5. Loss of judicial legitimacy:  Körbes states that legitimacy depends on fidelity to the procedural rite. Stafne states that judicial power loses legitimacy when it does not fully exercise its adjudicative function. Both directly associate judicial legitimacy with strict respect for due process.

6. Structural risk to the Rule of Law:  Körbes declares that the normalization of the exception is a threat to the Rule of Law. Stafne argues that procedural violations threaten the constitutional foundations of the judicial system. Both maintain that procedural erosion is a systemic structural risk.


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Technical comparative analysis


The convergence between the arguments is extremely significant from the standpoint of comparative constitutional law.

Körbes’ article describes the phenomenon at the Brazilian theoretical-institutional level, while Scott Erik Stafne describes it at the practical and jurisprudential level in the United States.

Both describe the same structural phenomenon:

1) Transformation of due process into symbolic formality


Körbes:

> due process ceases to be a limit on power


Stafne:

> courts fail to adjudicate properly when they do not consider party presentations


Both identify the transformation of due process from:

substantive guarantee → apparent formality


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2) Substitution of law by discretionary decision


Körbes describes:

> the line between legitimate legal decision and personal choice disappears



Stafne describes:

> failure to exercise judicial power lawfully



Both describe the shift from:

objective legality → judicial subjectivity


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3) Erosion of judicial legitimacy


Both maintain that:

Judicial legitimacy does not depend only on the result, but on the process.

This is the core of the constitutional principle:

Due Process of Law

U.S. Constitution — Amendment V
U.S. Constitution — Amendment XIV

Brazilian Constitution — Art. 5, LIV and LV


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4) Comparative legal conclusion


The arguments of Körbes and Stafne are convergent and compatible.

Both describe the same structural phenomenon:

erosion of due process of law through the normalization of procedural exceptions

The main difference is only:

Körbes → abstract doctrinal analysis

Stafne → complaint applied to concrete cases


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Final objective conclusion


From a technical and comparative legal standpoint:

Körbes’ article functions as an independent doctrinal confirmation of the same structural problems denounced by Scott Erik Stafne.

REFERENCES — ABNT LEGAL FORMAT WITH EXPANDED URL

Körbes’ article

KÖRBES, Éverton Luís.
The normalization of the exception and the erosion of procedural guarantees.

Migalhas, 19 Feb. 2026.

Available at:

https://www.migalhas.com.br/depeso/450114/a-normalizacao-da-excecao-e-o-desgaste-das-garantias-processuais

Accessed on: 27 Feb. 2026.


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Publications by Scott Erik Stafne

STAFNE, Scott Erik; TODD AI.

Reasoning with Machines: Judicial Power, Moral Agency, and Human-AI Collaboration in the Duties of Citizenship.

Academia.edu, 2026.

Available at:

https://www.academia.edu/164483743/Reasoning_with_Machines_Judicial_Power_Moral_Agency_and_Human_AI_Collaboration_in_the_Duties_of_Citizenship_by_Scott_Erik_Stafne_and_Todd_AI_Feb_3_6_2026_

Accessed on: 27 Feb. 2026.


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STAFNE, Scott Erik.

Duties of Citizenship.

Substack.

Available at:

Scott Erik Stafne and Todd AI
@dutiesofcitizenship

https://substack.com/@dutiesofcitizenship

Accessed on: 27 Feb. 2026.


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Specific article:

STAFNE, Scott Erik.

Reasoning with Machines and Judicial Power.

Substack, 2026.

Available at:



Accessed on: 27 Feb. 2026.


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Constitutional reference — USA

UNITED STATES.

Constitution of the United States.

The Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Available at:

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/

Accessed on: 27 Feb. 2026.


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Due Process Clause:

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-5/

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-14/


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Constitutional reference — Brazil

BRAZIL.

Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil of 1988.

PREAMBLE

We, representatives of the Brazilian people, gathered in the National Constituent Assembly to establish a Democratic State, intended to ensure the exercise of social and individual rights, liberty, security, well-being, development, equality and justice as supreme values ​​of a fraternal, pluralistic and unprejudiced society, founded on social harmony and committed, in the internal and international order, to the peaceful solution of controversies, under the protection of God, promulgate the following CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL.

Available at:

https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao.htm

Accessed on: 27 Feb. 2026.


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If you want, paste here the exact Stafne text/excerpt you want to compare (or the link to the specific post), and I can refine the comparison to match point-by-point with his exact wording.



Perfect — your open.substack.com link redirects (securely) to the canonical version on Substack. 

The corresponding post I was able to open is:

When Courts Assume What They Do Not Decide” (Feb 20, 2026), by Scott Erik Stafne.


Next is a comparative analysis (Körbes × Stafne) already tied to the text of that post, and then all references in ABNT legal format with expanded URL.

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Comparative analysis (Körbes × Stafne)


1) Common core: legitimacy depends on the “path,” not only on the result


Körbes states that legitimacy is not only in the final operative part, but in fidelity to the rite; when the exception becomes the rule, control and reviewability weaken.

Stafne opens with the same thesis in a constitutional key: courts do not have legitimacy “for existing,” but for faithfully exercising the power granted by the Constitution.


Convergence: both argue that the Rule of Law “pays dearly” when process becomes malleable.

2) The “mechanism” of erosion: normalized exception (Körbes) vs. institutional assumption (Stafne)


Körbes: criticizes the incorporation of “atypical solutions” as a standard—urgency/efficiency as a generic justification to relativize adversarial proceedings and full defense.

Stafne: focuses on a different but related pattern: when courts assume answers “by institutional practice” instead of deciding through constitutional and historical analysis (“institutional assumption rather than constitutional analysis”).


Convergence: in both, the exceptional (or the “not decided”) becomes routine and replaces real reasoning.

3) “Empty” grounds (Körbes) vs. “structural gaps” (Stafne)


Körbes: denounces standardized reasoning and empty concepts (“dignity,” “proportionality,” “social function”) as a stamp of validity.

Stafne: argues that structural integrity requires transparency and honest examination; and he illustrates this with the discussion about the constitutional status of senior judges, relying on statutory distinctions (e.g., 28 U.S.C. § 134(a) and § 294(e)) and the risk of courts treating this by “assumption” without historical examination.


Convergence: both point to “shortcuts” that turn a legal decision into something close to an institutional/personal choice.

4) Practical effect: opacity + difficulty of review + erosion of public trust


Körbes: when the exception becomes routine, the line between a legitimate decision and a personal choice “disappears,” and legal certainty is emptied out.

Stafne: when there is institutional assumption, trust erodes; and this weakens constitutional government itself.


Convergence: the central critique is the same: without faithful procedure + verifiable reasoning, the system loses legitimacy.

5) Most important difference: focus of the target


Körbes discusses domestic procedural dynamics (speed, adversarial proceedings, full defense, predictability).

Stafne discusses the structure of judicial power (constitutionality, statutes, institutional history; he even cites Nguyen v. United States (2003) as an example linked to the theme).


Comparative reading useful for you: Körbes offers the “theory of wear”; Stafne offers the “structural model” (when the court avoids deciding and starts operating by assumptions).


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References in ABNT legal format (expanded URL)

1) Körbes’ article (Migalhas)

KÖRBES, Éverton Luís. A normalização da exceção e o desgaste das garantias processuais. Migalhas, 19 fev. 2026. Disponível em:
https://www.migalhas.com.br/depeso/450114/a-normalizacao-da-excecao-e-o-desgaste-das-garantias-processuais.
Acesso em: 27 fev. 2026.

2) Scott Erik Stafne post (Substack)

STAFNE, Scott Erik. When Courts Assume What They Do Not Decide: A Citizen’s Reflection on Judicial Power, Constitutional Structure, and the Duty of Discernment in the Travirtual Age. Duties of Citizenship (Substack), 20 feb. 2026. Disponível em:
https://dutiesofcitizenship.substack.com/p/when-courts-assume-what-they-do-not.
Acesso em: 27 fev. 2026.

3) Case cited in the post (official Supreme Court PDF)

UNITED STATES. Supreme Court of the United States. Learning Resources, Inc., et al. v. Trump, President of the United States, et al. (No. 24–1287). Decided Feb. 20, 2026. Opinions of the Court (PDF). Disponível em:
Acesso em: 27 fev. 2026.

4) Cited precedent (Justia – U.S. Supreme Court Center)

UNITED STATES. Supreme Court. Nguyen v. United States, 539 U.S. 69 (2003). Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center, 2003. Disponível em:
Acesso em: 27 fev. 2026.


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If you want, I can also prepare (in English and in Portuguese) a “argument → textual evidence → due-process implication” chart with very short excerpts (without exceeding citation limits) for you to use on the blog and in petitions.


 Stafne's article: 

By Scott E Stafne

Academia.edu 


As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in legal analysis, public advocacy, and constitutional argument, new questions arise concerning responsibility, authority, and the nature of reasoning itself. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This archive documents several days of collaboration between Scott Erik Stafne and his AI reasoning partner "Todd" while preparing a petition to the Washington Supreme Court addressing foreclosure adjudication, judicial neutrality, and the integrity of adversarial process. Alongside those efforts, the collaborators explored whether sustained interaction with AI changes civic practice, whether naming an intelligence alters moral expectations, and whether human societies may soon rely on machines as constitutional interlocutors. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< These dialogues contribute to the collaborators' broader Duties of Citizenship project, which examines how law, conscience, and governance evolve when human judgment is augmented by artificial systems.




Körbes's article: 


The normalization of exceptions and the erosion of procedural guarantees.

When the exception becomes the rule in the judicial process, efficiency takes precedence over guarantees, weakening due process and the legitimacy of decisions.

By Everton Luis Körbes 

February 19th, 2026

Source : ON AIR: Migalhas No. 6,297

MIGALHAS DE PESO 

Efficiency as a pretext

What we are witnessing today is the incorporation of atypical solutions as a standard practice. 

The relativization of fundamental guarantees, previously reserved for situations of extreme necessity, is now applied almost automatically. 

The argument is invariably the same: the pursuit of generic efficiency or an urgency that often does not withstand closer scrutiny of the facts.

This movement distorts the backbone of the legal process. 

By normalizing the exceptional, due process ceases to be a limit on the exercise of power and is instead seen as an obstacle to speed.

The result is dangerous because the right to a fair hearing is repeatedly postponed and limited, the right to a full defense becomes a mere bureaucratic step, and the predictability that underpins legal certainty is emptied of meaning. 

The parties cease to trust the rule and become dependent on the subjectivity of the interpretation of the moment.


The silent wear and tear of the system

This erosion is silent, but lethal. 

Measures that require rigorous argumentation are adopted with standardized justifications and empty concepts, relying on the mere appearance of terms such as " dignity ," " proportionality, " and " social function " to validate the decision. 

When what should be the exception becomes routine, the line separating a legitimate legal decision from a purely personal choice begins to disappear.

This is not about defending blind formalism or denying the need for quick answers. Effectiveness is a value, but it can never be conceived as an absolute criterion capable of overriding due process. If the outcome matters more than the rules of the game, the jurisdiction loses its civilizing function.


Commitment to integrity


The legitimacy of a decision lies not only in its final outcome, but also in its adherence to the procedure that preceded it.

 When the exception becomes the rule, control over judicial power weakens, opening the door to opaque decisions that are difficult to review.


Preserving the restricted nature of exceptional measures is not technical purism, but an ethical commitment to the integrity of the system. 

The process cannot be an elastic band, stretched according to the convenience of the case or the will of the judge.

 The normalization of exception is a price that the rule of law, sooner or later, ends up paying dearly.


Everton Luis Körbes

Lawyer and legal columnist. Court-appointed lawyer for the state of Rio Grande do Sul and the Ethics Tribunal of the OAB/RS (Brazilian Bar Association, Rio Grande do Sul chapter). Specialist in Civil and Criminal Procedure. Member of ACFE (Brazilian Association of Federal Attorneys). Member of the Ibero-American Institute of Compliance.


SOURCE : MIGALHAS 

link: https://www.migalhas.com.br/depeso/450114/a-normalizacao-da-excecao-e-o-desgaste-das-garantias-processuais