Justin, I'm not trying to undermine your views (which I value), but the above quote sounds to me like a texbook example of the so-called garbage can theory of organizational behavior which claims that organizational decisions are rationalized rather than rational - that is, they reflect the agendas of individual decision-makers rather than the principles defining the organization's mission, but they are ex post facto rationalized in terms of these principles.
Theres is considerable empirical support of that theory, and I see no reason why the judiciary should be any different. My general perception of the legal profession is that they tend to be more ideology-driven than the rest of the population (which is grounded in the importance of canon -as opposed to factual reality- in their professional practice). Ideology is a known factor affecting human cognitive processes. What is more, legal profession requires above-ordinary reasoning skill, and reasoning is essential for manufacturing rationalizations. Hence we have both the motive and the capacity - are you trying to tell us that the legeal profession has an extraordinary capacity to resist such temptation?
wojtek