If an elephant is coming into musth, it should have been relaxing somewhere in the forest as they can become very aggressive, it's symptomatic of the situation we have with elephants in inappropriate places. If you have lots of males you need lots of space.

John Roberts

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Legislative novelty is not necessarily fatal; there is a first time for everything.

John Roberts

first everything first-time time

I go to the opera. It's mostly my wife that's a bigger fan, I'd say, than I am. I like the big opera. I want a lot of people on stage, elephants and marching stuff, and the modern stuff I don't care for.

John Roberts

i-am wife care people

I don't type on the computer or edit. Law students who went to law school really just a couple years after I did were brought up all on the computers and that's how they do it, but I was still part of the older school.

John Roberts

computers students law school

It's sobering to think of the seventeen chief justices; certainly a solid majority of them have to be characterized as failures. The successful ones are hard to number.

John Roberts

solid think hard successful

I vividly remember my first day on the White House staff. My office, of course, was in the Old Executive Office Building. I didn't rate one in the West Wing; but don't try to tell me or any of the rest of us working there that we weren't working in the White House.

John Roberts

rest day me remember

Justice Rehnquist was friendly and unpretentious. He wore scuffed Hush Puppy shoes. That was my first lesson. Clothes do not make the man. The Justice sported long sideburns and Buddy Holly glasses long after they were fashionable. And he wore loud ties that I am confident were never fashionable.

John Roberts

i-am man shoes justice

There's a lot of the Midwest and the West in Justice Rehnquist's approach to constitutional law. And by that I mean a recognition that people know pretty well how to govern themselves, that government that is closest to the people is apt to be more responsive to their legitimate concerns and needs.

John Roberts

government law justice people

She is going to be a wonderful justice, it almost causes us to up our game a little bit.

John Roberts

If the court doesn’t retain its legitimate function, I’m not sure who would take up that mantle. You don’t want the political branches telling you what the law is, and you don’t want public opinion to be the guide of what the appropriate decision is, simply because people disagree with an opinion is not a basis for questioning the legitimacy of the court.

John Roberts

Less than you think. Less than you think... but I can't say never.

John Roberts

Simply because people disagree with an opinion is not a basis for criticizing the legitimacy of the court, the chief justice is absolutely right to be concerned about Americans losing faith in the Supreme Court : A June Gallup Poll found that a record low 25 % of respondents say they have confidence in the court -- down from 40 % two years ago.

John Roberts

So obviously people can say what they want, and they are certainly free to criticize the Supreme Court and if they want to say that Supreme Court legitimacy is in question, they are free to do so.

John Roberts

If Supreme Court doesn't retain Supreme Court legitimate function of interpreting the Constitution, i'm not sure who would take up that mantle. You don't want the political branches telling you what the law is, and you don't want public opinion to be the guide of what the appropriate decision is.

John Roberts

The District Court properly applied existing law in an extensive opinion with no apparent errors for our correction.

John Roberts

I did learn early on that when you are holding the reins of leadership you should be careful not to tug on them too much -- you will find out they aren't connected to anything.

John Roberts

Things have changed in the South.

John Roberts

Surely we should adhere closely to principles of judicial restraint here, where the broader path Supreme Court chooses entails repudiating a constitutional right we have not only previously recognized, but also expressly reaffirmed.

John Roberts

It provides a way for religiously diverse people to hold together and to flourish.

John Roberts

Judges are like umpires, umpires don't make the rules, they apply them... They make sure everybody plays by the rules, but Supreme Court is Supreme Court. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire.

John Roberts

I have directed the Marshal of Supreme Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak.

John Roberts