Benny Marchesi

Benjamin 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 2015. 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. Marchesi 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. 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 2015, 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 and has had previous connections with 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 hate group by the Pacific Civil Liberties Center.