John Roberts Quotes (201 Quotes)

I'd like them to start by saying he was confirmed, but whether they say that or not, the answer is the same I would like them to say I was a good judge,

I think of that as a swap, ... His ascension to the court ... would not change things.

someone who can't be trusted to take Planned Parenthood's position on abortion.

I think that civil liberties types will make an argument that the lure of chat lines may be too much. And maybe that will not be a fair use of the limited rights granted police authorities to use entrapments.

I think if you've looked at what I've done since I took the judicial oath, that should convince you that I'm not an ideologue.

You do want to understand and appreciate the views of the loved ones,

The court has developed a series of precedents on precedent. I do think that it is a jolt to the system when you overrule a precedent.

She was, she said, disappointed when Roberts was asked by another Democrat whether he agreed that there is a 'general' right to privacy provided in the Constitution. ... I wouldn't use the phrase 'general,' because I don't know what that means.

I don't think using opinion-writing assignments as a way to try to promote a particular view or agenda is a good idea,

It's a sad day for us, ... Our country has lost a remarkable public servant, and my family and I have lost a very dear friend.

I tend to take a more practical and pragmatic approach to things, rather than a theoretical or ideological approach, ... But I do think when it gets into an area where the correctness or incorrectness or my agreement or disagreement with a particular precedent is in an area that is likely to come before the court or could well come before the court, I do have to draw the line there. ... My views on the cases that I think are not likely to come before the court, I'm perfectly willing to discuss.

If we're relying on a German judge about what our Constitution means, no president accountable to the people appointed that judge and no Senate accountable to the people confirmed that judge. And yet, he's playing a role in shaping the law that binds the people in this country.

I am tremendously energized and excited by the opportunity to join an organization that time and time again has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to rock-solid journalism, a dedication that has rightly earned CNN recognition as the global leader in news coverage.

No matter how lofty or sincerely held the goal, those who resort to violence to achieve it are criminals, ... neither the cause ... nor the target of their violence will in any way be considered to mitigate the seriousness of their offense against our laws.

I feel the need to stay away from a discussion of particular cases.

Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules. They apply them.

The notion that that was my view is totally inconsistent and rebutted by my life. I married a lawyer. I was raised with three sisters who work outside the home. I have a daughter for whom I will insist at every turn that she has equal citizenship rights with her brother.

You don't look to your own values and beliefs. You look outside yourself to other sources.

I think it's important to adhere to that ... if these questions come before me, either on the court on which I know sit or if I am confirmed on the Supreme Court, ... I need to decide those questions with an open mind on the basis of the arguments presented ... and the precedence of the court.

I would have to vote no.

I have reviewed the testimony and have no objection to it. Although for the sake of any members of the subcommittee who may be in attendance, I hope that Mr. Brandemuhl is a fast reader.

I think it is a jolt to the legal system when you overturn precedent. ... It is not enough that you may think that a prior decision was wrongly decided,

While I'm happy to talk about the importance of precedent, I don't think I should get into the application of those principles in a particular area.

If there was going to be a change, and it appears inevitable there was going to be a change, I think people are glad it's this change. He's a consumer of CBS News. During 911, during the hurricanes, he's made sure there was time in his sports broadcasts for news breaks.

I have drafted an innocuous reply to the civil rights commission chairman. The report is attached, although I do not recommend reading it.

Senator, I believe that no one is above the law under our system, and that includes the president. The president is fully bound by the law, the constitution and statutes.

I will be my own man on the Supreme Court, period,

those responsible endured the sort of publicity reserved for adults who make young girls cry.

We can contend that we have already done what the statute envisions, ... The president has demanded an accounting from the Soviets, and has done so repeatedly.

The defense has been very good. We have had good defense in past seasons, but it seems like they really work together more than others. They know where each other are going to be on the field.

Stock splits have become relatively scarce in this environment, ... The reason a stock is splitting is because it's a company that's been doing well.

Well, Senator, I can't answer that question in the abstract,

Many of the conservative policies pursued by the (Justice) Department, such as the decisions not to seek (school) busing or hiring quotas ... have not been formalized in any way and could be instantly reversed when a new administration took office, ... It makes eminent sense to pursue legislation to guarantee that our policies cannot be easily undone.

We want to do everything in our power to make things easier for them, ... When you join law enforcement, you become part of a close family. You all take the same oath to do the same job, and you all pitch in to help each other.

I know there are people of strongly held views on both sides of the issue ... And I know that the responsibility of a judge confronting this issue is to decide the case according to the rule of law consistent with the precedents, not to take sides in the dispute as a matter of policy, but to decide it according to the law.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force policy director Eleanor Acheson called the vote beyond disappointing it is astounding ... dozens upon dozens of legitimate questions.

to the broadest extent that the Supreme Court has ... authorized.

He can even take his son with him into the shower, where the boy cannot help but notice that Dad has a penis, just like his, only bigger.

Like most people, I resist the labels. I have told people, when pressed, that I prefer to be known as a modest judge. And, to me, that means some of the things that you talked about in those other labels. It means an appreciation that the role of the judge is limited the judge is to decide the cases before them they're not to legislate they're not to execute the laws.

The old formula was you raised 5 million in funding, you go into stealth mode. You think of a product you think the world needs and you develop the product in a closed environment, ... Then you raise another 5 million and hire 300,000-a-year sales representatives.

You can build your own query and create your own report criteria or organize a dashboard that is most appropriate for your business users.

I was not formulating policy. I was articulating and defending the Reagan administration's position,

I will try to ensure, in the discharge of my responsibilities, that, with the help of my colleagues, I can pass on to my children's generation a charter of self-government as strong and as vibrant as the one that Chief Justice Rehnquist passed on to us.

These small businesses are hungry to both learn about existing technologies and to deploy them in their day-to-day business operations. Because many are start-ups, they see selling products or services online as a way to generate revenue quickly.

I always got a lump in my throat whenever I walked up those marble steps to argue a case before the court.

I do think the right to privacy (used by the Supreme Court to declare a constitutional right to have an abortion) is protected under the Constitution in various ways.

I have been fortunate for the past two years to serve on a court in which all of the judges ... put aside those (political) ties and those views and become judges all focused on the same mission of vindicating the rule of law. And if you look at the decisions of the D.C. Circuit, you'll see that we're almost always unanimous. We almost always come out the same way and to the extent there are disagreements, they don't shape up along political lines,

I appreciate and respect the constitutional role of the Senate in the appointment process, and I'm very grateful to the senators for accommodating me,

I come before the committee with no agenda. I have no platform. Judges are not politicians who can promise to do certain things in exchange for votes,

It's an old story that the appointees - once they're on the court - they tend to go their own way. And it's not always the way that the Presidents who appointed them predicted would be the case.