Benny Marchesi

Benjamin Benito "Benny" Marchesi (/mɑrˈkeɪzɪ/; born December 16, 1956) is a Sierran politician, author, and attorney who has served as the 20th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Tahoe since March 1, 2012. A member of the Remove Kebab Party, Marchesi joined after he was banned from the Democratic-Republican Party due to Marchesi's controversial statements towards Muslims and members of the LGBT community in 2013. He previously served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Shasta and as a fellow judge of the Third Circuit of Tahoe.

Born in, Reno to a wealthy Italian Sierran family, Marchesi is a graduate of the King Smith University School of Law in , Kings and an alumni of the University of Sierra, Bernheim. He began his career as a staff counsel for Democratic-Republican MP Mark Gusber in Tahoe's 2nd parliamentary district. He worked as a for the Supreme Court of Tahoe for four years after his time as staff counsel. Marchesi then served as an Assistant K.S. Attorney, with a specialty on immigration law, from 1989 to 1995, until he began practicing private law practice.

In 2000, Marchesi was appointed interim judge of the K.S. District Court for Central Styxie by Prime Minister Melinda Peters to fill a vacancy until the term expired. He was subsequently transferred to the Third Circuit Court of Tahoe in 2002 as a judge to fill another vacant seat. He was elected into the position in 2004 on a four-year term. In 2008, he sought election for the Supreme Court of Tahoe as an associate justice, to replace the seat of retiring Associate Justice Lou Carbajal. As an Associate Justice, he became well-known for his obstructionist policies, concurring with his conservative peers on numerous cases, including striking down a provincial law banning plastic bags. He nonetheless sided with his centrist peers on issues regarding fiscal matters and criminal justice, with a notable example with his opposition to the. His decisions and opinions in the court earned him the nickname, "Blocky Benny".

In 2012, Marchesi was elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Shasta, narrowly defeating his opponent Democratic-Republican Ryan Ivey by a margin of 2,101 votes. In 2013, the Democratic-Republican Party officially disavowed any affiliation with Marchesi by expelling him, following a number of videos surfacing that showed him directing slurs towards Muslims and LGBT members. His refusal to apologize led to calls pressing for his resignation and months-long protests outside the Tahoe Supreme Court. Marchesi joined the far-right Remove Kebab Party a month after his expulsion from the Democratic-Republicans and became the first Remove Kebab to hold a significant position in the Sierran judicial system.

Marchesi has been described as an advocate for Sierra's far-right politics. He has attracted significant controversy over statements and views that have been called, , , , , and. He has openly supported, calling himself a "modern Crusader", in his capacity as a Remove Kebab Party spokesman. He also has previous connections with members of the Imperial Knights of Sierra and similar white nationalist organizations. He has also founded the Institute for Sierran Immigration Reform, which has been described as a group by the Pacific Civil Liberties Center.

Early life
Benjamin Benny Marchesi was born in, Reno, the eldest son of Assunta (née Pierno) and Sergio "Secondo" Marchesi. His father was a who worked at the Lyon Memorial Medical Center while his mother was a practicing  at a local health clinic. He has Italian ancestry, with his father's side hailing from and his mother's side from. Both his parents were native-born Italian Sierrans, while his paternal and maternal grandparents both respectively arrived as immigrants from Italy. He was the oldest of four siblings, growing up with Danny, Nicoletta, and Johnny. When Marchesi was in fifth grade, his family moved to, Tahoe after his father found work at the University of Sierra, Davis Medical Center.

Raised with a Roman Catholic upbringing, Marchesi attended the Saint Xavier Junior High School, a parochial grade school. He later attended Augustus Sutter High School, a public school, in. He participated in the school debate club, journalism club, and athletics program as a track-and-field athlete. He won two provincial championship honors and was a national finalist in 1973. Marchesi graduated as one of the salutatorians with high honors. After graduation, he attended the University of Sierra, Bernheim with full scholarship, graduating in 1978 with a  in economics. Marchesi then attended King Smith University Law School and graduated with a .

Early legal career
After graduation, Marchesi started work in private practice with a focus on personal injury and vehicle accident cases at the Sacramento-based Holstein & Cho. He worked on researching case studies and preparing arguments for Holstein & Cho's defense team on a case defending blind people over the City of Roseville's attempt to replace standard intersections with s. After three years, he joined the staff counsel for Democratic-Republican MP Mark Gusber through network connections via the Barony of Roseville during the Ford Government. Due to his academic achievement, Marchesi was able to find work at the Supreme Court of Tahoe as a, working directly for Chief Justice Christian Myers between 1985 and 1989. He then worked as an Assistant K.S. Attorney for the Ministry of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Division from 1989 to 1995 before resigning to continue private practice as a returning partner for Holstein & Cho.

He worked on a number of pro bono cases on behalf of Holstein & Cho, including a case where Marchesi represented Frank Mackey, a former police officer, who was convicted of negligence and involuntary manslaughter. Marchesi briefly served as an adjunct faculty member at the Sierra National University, Sacramento, and made contributions to its official library. He was able to argue four cases before the Supreme Court of Tahoe and one at the Supreme Court of Sierra, prevailing in all of them.

Interim District Judge
In 2000, Judge Carlos Vergas from the K.S. District Court for Central Styxie was involved in a serious accident, with a post-surgical recovery that prevented him from continuing work. In the midst of this vacancy, Marchesi appeared on an official list as one of the recommended candidates to fill in for Vergas' vacancy to Prime Minister Melinda Peters. Marchesi was ultimately nominated by Peters, who cited his previous work, personal recommendations, and legal achievements, as well as familiarity with the Central Styxie area as Peters' decision to choose him. After undergoing a background check and an evaluation test, his nomination was approved by the Senate 88–37. Marchesi would serve as a temporary interim judge, who would complete the remainder of Vergas' elected term. When the term expired, he did not seek election as he accepted an offer to transfer to the Third Circuit Court of Tahoe to fill in another vacancy.

Circuit Judge
Marchesi succeeded Susan Knowland as the Circuit Judge for the Third District of Tahoe on April 9, 2002. During his tenure, he attracted attention for his opening prayers, which he started at the start of every court session. Members of the jury and defense attorneys objected to his prayer, with one juror stating it made them "incredibly uncomfortable". During one case, Marchesi asked a juror, who was a priest, to pray on their behalf for guidance. Marchesi's courtroom was filled with religious language, frequently citing biblical passages and spiritual stories to explain his arguments and sentencing. Although he received warnings from the National Bureau of Court Administration for violating standard protocol, Marchesi successfully challenged the complaints, insisting he did not compel people within the courtroom to join him in prayer. On June 29, 2003, he began the session questioning what was so controversial about public prayer, stating, "What is so wrong about witnessing a man pray before his fellow citizens. Is prayer not the most powerful expression of religious liberty? Prayer calls for guidance, for blessings. I am merely seeking the right path that my Lord wants for me."

The Democratic-Republican Party of Tahoe continued to endorse Marchesi, despite objections to the judge's conduct, citing his judicial record and case studies. It also stated that Marchesi represented the social attitudes of Styxie's Democratic-Republican voters, who leaned much more conservative than their national counterparts. Marchesi himself stated that he was a loyal Democratic-Republican and insisted that "Christian values are compatible with the Democratic-Republican vision of economic fairness and justice". The Sierran Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Marchesi in 2004 for his courtroom prayers, stating that it was unconstitutional for a person in public office to promote or partake in religious activities while operating in an official capacity. The lawsuit attracted widespread media attention, with supporters and opponents rallying outside Marchesi's Circuit Court. Marchesi himself responded to SCLU's lawsuit, calling it "an attack against honest expression of faith in the public sphere", and was invited to speak at the National Prayer and Faith Committee in support of public prayer.

The Supreme Court of Tahoe took up on the SCLU's case against Marchesi and ruled in the judge's favor, arguing that the separation of church and state clause did not expressly forbid the mere presence or act of religious activities in the public sphere. It argued that politicians frequently included generalized statements asking for God's blessing or divine providence, which could not be construed as the Sierran government itself promoting any established religion. The Supreme Court further stated that because the prayer was a personal choice that neither added nor diminished the value or order of the court hearings, it could not be restricted on the grounds of religious freedom. The case's victory boosted Marchesi's individual approval ratings, and the judge was awarded the National Prayer Warrior of the Year Award in 2005.

When the National Bureau of Court Administration made changes explicitly forbidding prayers in court sessions within its protocol, Marchesi chose to defy the Bureau's new rule, and continued his standard prayer openings. Thousands of supporters rallied outside of his court and the administrative headquarters of the Bureau in Porciúncula to demand a reversal of the decision. As specified from the Bureau's ruling, the province of Shasta incurred a $5,000 fine for every time Marchesi violated the ruling for failure to comply with the order. The Government of Tahoe came out in support of Marchesi in protest of the order, demanding a reconsideration by the Bureau over the matter. After four months, the Bureau invalidated the fines and removed the prayer ban rule from its protocol.

Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Tahoe
In late 2007, the Sierran Family Values Association started a campaign action committee to nominate Marchesi as a candidate for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Tahoe. Associate Justice Lou Carbajal announced his resignation earlier that year. Carbajal was a moderate Democratic-Republican whose swing vote was considered crucial as the tie-breaker for most provincial court cases. Conservative Democratic-Republicans and Royalist Tahoeans wanted Marchesi to replace Carbajal to ensure the Court would lean slightly rightward. Marchesi himself expressed interest and announced his intention to run for the position on December 8, 2007 during a press conference in his courtroom. He vowed to "bring back Tahoe's values to God's plans" while "protecting the weak and serving the poor through principled, just decisions". He argued that the deterioration of Christian values correlated with the rise in crime, homelessness, drug abuse, and other social woes.

Although the Tahoe Democratic-Republicans fully endorsed Marchesi's candidacy, the Democratic-Republican National Committee distanced themselves from Marchesi's campaign by offering no official endorsements to any candidates, merely imploring voters to choose a candidate based on their political conscience. Twelve Democratic-Republican senators and MPs, alongside twenty Royalist lawmakers personally endorsed Marchesi however. Marchesi stated that his relationship with the national Democratic-Republicans as "complicated by contrasting worldviews" but respected them and insisted he did not seek to upset or displace their strength over Tahoe. However, he argued "Tahoe is a Styxie province and our mantra is simple: 'Our traditions will never die'. We embody the classical Democratic-Republican resilience and defense of such values." The Barony of Roseville, Marchesi's primary liege, similarly did not endorse Marchesi's candidacy although a number of associated baronets did. Due to an agreement between the conservative Democratic-Republicans and the Royalist Party in Tahoe, the Royalists did not run any candidates for the race and instead urged voters to support Marchesi. Marchesi's main opponent from within the Democratic-Republican Party was Chuck Norman, who ran on a more moderate platform, and received the backing of a number of mainstream Democratic-Republican politicians and organizations. Although early polls indicated Marchesi trailed behind Norman by four points, within a month of the primaries, Marchesi surpassed him by two points. Marchesi eventually defeated Norman with over 50% of the vote and then easily defeated independent contender Lisa Pang with over 70% of the vote. Upon being declared victor of the race, Marchesi stated, "Tahoe has made it loud and clear. God is at the center of our lives and we insist that good morals dictate the law of the land." He was formally on June 28, 2008, and heard his first arguments as an Associate Justice on June 30, 2008 on a session of Loyola v. Ochoa Securities Ltd.

Aside from his ongoing controversies, Marchesi kept a relatively low-profile on his court opinions. He showed a commitment to conservative values on social issues but was comparatively moderate on economic and political issues. In criminal cases, Marchesi was an advocate for defendants' rights, reasoning that "forgiveness and compassion are cornerstone to our nation's values". He also spoke out against the, contrary to most of his conservative peers, believing that "it isn't right to condemn people to death" as only God was able to judge them. The Porciúncula Law School Herald remarked that Marchesi was "remarkably " when it came to most case opinions, and only sided as a "staunch conservative" on issues regarding faith and moral issues. However, it also noted that his case opinions suggested he was an who pursued a "quasi- philosophy". He earned the nickname, "Blocky Benny" from journalists and opponents, for his decisions, a nickname which he came to embrace while in office.

Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Tahoe
In 2011, Tahoe Chief Justice Thomas Tauscher announced his intention to step down and retire amid age-related health complications. This opening prompted the Sierran Family Values Association to begin developing a plan to get Marchesi elected as Chief Justice and secure another reliable conservative in Marchesi's place. Since Tahoe's terms for justices were limited to four years, Marchesi had the choice to either run again as an Associate Justice or Chief Justice, for which he opted Chief Justice, stressing, "We need to show the nation that voters here want someone who champions our God-given rights and fears the Lord."

Marchesi's main opponent was Ryan Ivey, a fellow Democratic-Republican, who had served as a District Judge himself from the Fifth District. Due to shifting attitudes, the Tahoe Democratic-Republicans no longer endorsed Marchesi's bid for Chief Justice, and instead openly supported Ivey, which Marchesi later remarked was "absolute betrayal". While Ivey was the establishment favorite and had more financial contributions to his campaign, Marchesi focused on his ties with a number of social conservative organizations and criminal justice reform groups to emphasize his principles and values. Marchesi had come under fire for his some of his statements regarding homosexuality, which he believed was a sin. Although he did not back down on his statements, he pointed out the hypocrisy of his fellow Democratic-Republicans who had once prominently came out in support of anti-same-sex marriage laws. He proposed the alternative choice of s for same-sex couples and vowed to preserve traditional marriage if the case appeared before his court.

Since the election for Chief Justice of Tahoe was a, both Marchesi and Ivey received the most votes in the race, leading them to face off in the general election, despite the two being from the same party. Although Ivey had a considerable lead over Marchesi early on (having placed first in the primaries), Marchesi made headway on the polls, following Ivey's statements regarding his willingness to to the Queen, a highly controversial  in the Styxie, and subsequent accusations that Ivey was a monarchist sympathizer. Marchesi capitalized on this blunder, emphasizing on his cultural republicanism and waved a flag of Tahoe stating "This flag bows to no earthly king or queen".

In one of the closest and most hotly contested elections in Sierran history, Marchesi defeated Ivey by a margin of only 2,387 votes, in an electorate size of nearly 750,000 voters. Ivey's electoral campaign demanded a recount, believing the call was made too early and that Springsteen County officials discarded a number of its absentee votes as they were postmarked dates later than the original deadline a week before. The recount, whose results were announced three days after the election, narrowed the margin even further to only 2,101 votes. The race was described as a significant political upset, and calls for Marchesi's resignation from the opposition began almost immediately after the results were conclusively announced.

Controversy and expulsion from Democratic-Republican Party
In early 2013, Marchesi made a series of controversial statements regarding members of the LGBT community and Muslims that were perceived as defamatory and offensive. In a speech directed towards his flagship Institute for Sierran Immigration Reform at a private event, Marchesi stated that open immigration was supported by the Sierran "leftist elite" because it allowed Muslim immigrants to "take over and impose Sharia law". He quipped that one of the few issues he could agree with "radical Islam" was "punishing the gays". Following this speech and a number of related statements thereafter, RBS received an anonymous source who recorded the event in secret, and published it a few days after the event. Marchesi's statements were widely panned and condemned by mainstream media sources and his fellow peers, including many from the Democratic-Republican Party. Within 24 hours of the video's release, the Democratic-Republican Party announced it was suspending Marchesi's membership with the party and were considering expelling him for his statements if he did not clarify and apologize for his statements.

Marchesi refused to recant his statements, saying that he "stood by them one hundred percent" in a press conference a day after the Democratic-Republicans issued their ultimatum. He was subsequently banned from the Democratic-Republican Party, becoming the most prolific ban since the Sierran Civil War when the Party expelled Isaiah Landon and his supporters. Within a few days, Marchesi received offers from a number of right-wing parties to join, with the notable exception of the Royalists. Although the Royalists were long considered a party most consistent with Marchesi's social values, Marchesi dismissed any move to join the Royalists, opting instead for the far-right, anti-immigration Remove Kebab Party (which began initially as a ).

Marriage and children
Marchesi met his future wife, Karen Price, when they shared the same English literature class at Augustus Sutter High School their sophomore year. The two became acquaintances and dated other peers before each other their senior year. Marchesi and Price both attended the University of Sierra, Bernheim together, with Marchesi studying economics and Price studying accounting. The two continued dating after Marchesi went to King Smith University and married in 1985 after Marchesi graduated with his Juris Doctor degree. Marchesi and Price were both aged 29 at the time and have three adult children together (Henry, Jessica, and Ryan). Before both of his parents died, Marchesi's mother and father lived with the family, which Marchesi remarked, "It just felt natural to keep close with family. Family is everything."

Religious views
Marchesi was born and raised as a. As a youth, he was active in church life, participating as an altar boy and a member of the choir. While Marchesi was in high school, he considered becoming a priest. He has attributed his faith as the primary reason he chose to enter politics and law, and believes Sierra is under the "sovereign dominion of God". He identifies himself as a and has criticized the post- practices of the Church. Nonetheless, he has expressed affinity with Evangelical Protestants, stating he was able to "overlook theological and dogmatic differences" with his Protestant peers, so long as they were "impassioned in upholding the law of God".

Marchesi states that he makes an effort to attend Mass almost daily. He said his experiences in politics has only "deepened [his] faith in God" and acknowledged that he was a "Christian warrior". His emphasis on faith has made him popular among evangelical voters while his support among Catholics is significantly weaker. Marchesi stated that his base support came from those who "took their faith seriously" rather than necessarily those from his denomination. He firmly values Judeo-Christian values over, describing the latter as a "modern-day cancer" and has mixed feelings towards Sierran humanism, a synthesized form of and Christianity which originated from the Sierran Cultural Revolution.

Abortion and birth control
Marchesi believes that begins at the moment of  and is opposed to all forms of, except in life-threatening situations, which he stated in 2009, "almost certainly is never ever the case". In the Waters v. Planned Starts Clinic, he formed the majority opinion that struck down partial-birth abortions, calling it a "grave moral hazard that denies life to unborn children". His decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court of Sierra when it was appealed in 2008. At a 2009 Sierran National Right to Life Organization gathering, he said, "As a pro-life judge, I am completely committed towards protecting all stages of human life." He has openly stated he believes the National Family Planning program should be abolished "outright", describing its foundation in 1986 as "one of Sierra's worst moral decisions ever made". He has received a consistent 0% from the National Reproductive Rights Advocacy Network and has received perfect 100% from the Sierran National Right to Life Organization based on his court decisions and legal work pertaining to the matter.

He opposes the promotion or sale of products and other forms of birth control, insisting that the only acceptable forms to prevent births are  and. He has also alleged that compulsory in Sierran public education has "led teenagers towards a life of bodily degradation, unrestrained recklessness, and hedonistic destruction".

Church and state
Marchesi stated that although he believed that the government should protect the freedom of religion, he did not agree with the idea that religion should be separated from the public, political sphere. He has urged Christians to involve their faith actively in politics and believed, "Sierra was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, principles which cannot be abandoned and must be defended at all costs." He has also stated, "The ultimate source of all laws must come from God, the true sovereign." He has defended staff-led prayer in public schools and has throughout his career as a judge, publicly started sessions within the courtroom, start with a personal prayer, including in the Supreme Court. His actions were of special controversy when he served as District Judge for the Third District of Tahoe. Marchesi does not believe such actions constitutes a violation of the principle but does believe that the government must and should acknowledge the sovereignty and existence of God, by virtue of its own references to a creator in the Constitution.

Civil rights
Marchesi has opposed expanding civil rights and anti-discrimination legislation, claiming that current, existing laws already provide sufficient protections for ethnic and religious minorities. He has stated he is an impassioned proponent for provincial rights, and has criticized the employment of federal civil rights legislations for overturning provincial-level voting laws and other practices. He stated in an interview with a conservative radio show host that he saw "nothing wrong with es and voter ID laws", and has stated that the NICs were simply not sufficient enough to prevent fraudulent voting.

LGBT rights
Marchesi is opposed to same-sex marriage, believing the government has a "moral duty to preserve traditional marriage between man and woman". In a 2011 Supreme Court case, he wrote, "Marriage is a fundamentally different institution by which we propagate our species and inculcate our young," and stressed that homosexuality goes against "". He further believed that changing societal perception of marriage did not justify legalizing same-sex marriage. He has stated, "It was who said that if you call a tail a dog, how many legs has a dog? The answer is four. And calling a civil contract between consenting adults a marriage does not make it a marriage. When you marry, you need consent from God first and foremost." He has equated homosexuality to and is supportive of laws that would make homosexuality and homosexual acts illegal. He has openly supported, believing that the practice is humane and effective because "homosexuality is a lifestyle choice that can and should be changed".

Views on CAS
Marchesi strongly opposes the Conference of American States and believes Sierra's membership and compliance with CAS rules have "compromised and jeopardized the independence and integrity of Sierran sovereignty". He has criticized the open border policy of the St. Louis Area and regulatory powers of the American Parliament, American Council, and American Secretariat. He has expressed strong support for a Sierrexit referendum.