For a while, even in the house of good friends for dinner or for cocktails, they would really be upset. They thought I had single-handedly destroyed the best phone service in the world. Harold H. Greene More Quotes by Harold H. Greene More Quotes From Harold H. Greene With competition everyone has to try harder. Harold H. Greene harder competition trying I could see flames from the windows of my chambers. For the next three or four days we had major rioting here in Washington and I stayed at the court day and night. Harold H. Greene flames three night Competition is good and has served us well. Harold H. Greene wells competition The attorney general would call at 5 o'clock in the evening and say: 'Tomorrow morning we are going to try to integrate the University of Mississippi. Get us a memo on what we're likely to do, and what we can do if the governor sends the National Guard there.' Harold H. Greene evening morning trying I took the position from day one that it was the right decree, that the modifications I made to the decree were proper, that the correct outcome had been obtained, and that in due time all of that would become apparent. And it has become apparent. Harold H. Greene modification decree outcomes Defendants are being evaluated based on numerical grid without any aggravating circumstances being considered. The effect has been to transfer the disparity from the judge to the prosecutor allowing for a great deal of leeway on indictments. Harold H. Greene grids aggravation judging Every one of the world's dictatorships can and does claim to be acting in the name of the people. Harold H. Greene acting names people People are intimidated in court, and I try to make them more comfortable. Harold H. Greene court trying people The enforcement of the law cannot depend on the justice of a cause or one man's conscience. Harold H. Greene law justice men Frequently you have a clash between the more sterile letter of the law and the justice that underlies it, and I think one of the things I've been trying more or less, where it was possible, is to go with the justice rather than the letter of the law. Harold H. Greene law justice thinking I think it does work. The fact that the law is there and injustices can be rectified, I think has a lot to do with the fact that the people in this country aren't as frustrated as they are in some of these places in Eastern Europe and don't resort to violent revolution. Harold H. Greene europe country thinking If members of the security apparatus could, with impunity, keep from those elected by the people that which they're entitled to know - or worse, feed false information - those who could control the classified data could be the real decision makers. Harold H. Greene data real people I'm a great believer in the competitive system, and think that competition will bring us greater innovation and put American industry in information ahead of everyone also. Harold H. Greene innovation competition thinking I liked discussion and debate and thought that these skills fit well with law. I also had an interest in justice - and later learned that sometimes law and justice actually agree! Harold H. Greene skills law justice Mandatory sentencing guidelines have become as complicated and detailed as the IRS code! Harold H. Greene irs guidelines complicated You can't just lecture the poor that they shouldn't riot or go to extremes. You have to make the means of legal redress available. Harold H. Greene two-extremes lectures mean The traditional practice is that the justices don't ask the attorney general any questions, so as not to embarrass him. But Bobby Kennedy had let them know that he didn't mind if they asked him questions and they did. Harold H. Greene practice mind justice The real difference between the United States and other nations lies not in the words of the preamble to the Constitution, but in the fact that the substantive clauses of that Constitution are enforced by individuals independent of and not beholden to the elected branches. Harold H. Greene independent real lying I don't think a judge should be too much involved in outside activities. Harold H. Greene too-much judging thinking I don't want to be influenced by outside opinion. Harold H. Greene opinion want
