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Justice Roberts: SCOTUS Not Political 05/07 06:05
HERSHEY, Pa. (AP) -- Supreme Court justices are not "political actors,"
Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday, insisting unpopular court decisions
are based solely on the law.
"I think, at a very basic level, people think we're making policy decisions,
we're saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed to what the law
provides," he said. "I think they view us as purely political actors, which I
don't think is an accurate understanding of what we do."
His remarks to a conference of judges and lawyers from the 3rd U.S. Circuit
in Pennsylvania came at a time of low public confidence in the court, and about
a week after the court handed down a decision that hollowed out the Voting
Rights Act.
The high court struck down a majority-Black congressional district in
Louisiana, finding it was an unconstitutional gerrymander based on race. The
decision weakened the Civil Rights era law that has increased minority
representation in Congress, and it opened the door for more redistricting
across the country that could aid Republican efforts to control the House.
In recent years, the conservative majority court has also handed down
landmark rulings overturning the constitutional right to abortion, expanding
gun rights and ending affirmative action in higher education.
Roberts didn't reference any specific decisions in his remarks, but said the
court is "simply not part of the political process."
Opinions, he said, are based on the Constitution -- though he acknowledged
disagreement with some outcomes. "One thing we have to do is make decisions
that are unpopular," he said.
Criticism, he said, should focus on rulings rather than personal attacks. He
condemned the targeting of lower-court judges, a sentiment he's repeated amid
rising threats to the judiciary. "That's not appropriate and it can lead to
very serious problems," he said.
High-profile criticism of judges in personal terms has come from Republican
President Donald Trump, who also targeted Roberts and other justices who voted
against him in the opinion that struck down tariffs the president levied under
an emergency-powers law.
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