Judges who stand up to presidents

The courage of John Sirica

John Sirica never shied away from a fight.

He coached boxers three nights a week while in law school, sparred with an ex-welterweight champion and won a match that prompted a local paper to call him a “great little mitt artist.”

Sirica was a loyal Republican who was appointed to a federal judgeship in Washington by President Dwight Eisenhower and rose to …