As Daily Pundit, Croooow Blog, and others have noted, Peter Kirsanow has been seated on the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, replacing Victoria Wilson, whose term expired nearly a year ago. Chairman Mary Frances Berry kept Wilson on the commission even though President Clinton, when he appointed her, specifically said that she was only filling out the term of a deceased member, not being given a six-year term in her own right. It took nearly a year for justice to be done: today the Supreme Court settled the matter once and for all by refusing to review a unanimous appeals court decision.

Of course, it was obvious even last November that Berry was utterly and shamefully wrong. What should now happen is this:

• Kirsanow should get full back pay for the entire period, with interest.
• Wilson should have to return all of the salary she received for the last 11+ months, again with interest. I imagine the salaries would be the same, so that should cover Kirsanow's back pay without increasing the federal deficit.
• Berry should have to pay all of the legal bills out of her salary, not out of the commission's budget. I imagine that could take a few years.
• All of the commission's decisions made since last November 29th should be overturned, if Wilson provided the margin of victory. Perhaps not so much 'overturned' as canceled and put on hold pending a revote with the commission as legally constituted, that is, with Kirsanow and without Wilson: I don't suppose he would have voted differently in every case.

All this would happen if there were any justice in the world. I'm not holding my breath. If anyone finds my list a little harsh, note that I have not suggested that Berry be prosecuted.