At least there's a political input, but when you put on the robe, at that point the politics is over.
Stephen BreyerRead
Nobody wants a judge to be subject to the political whim of the moment.
Interpretation
Judges should remain impartial and not influenced by politics.
This quote emphasizes the importance of judicial independence, suggesting that judges must be free from political pressures to ensure fair and just legal outcomes. It highlights the necessity for a justice system that remains stable and fair, protecting individuals from the shifting moods of political influence.
In practice
Citing this quote in a speech about the importance of independent judiciary during a law conference.
At least there's a political input, but when you put on the robe, at that point the politics is over.
You will read in the newspaper more often about federal courts, but the law that affects people, the trials that affect human beings are by and large in the state courts
We can speak about the institution, but ultimately the bar is the group that both is in touch with the public on the one hand and understands the judicial institution on the other
Mass incarceration and its never-ending human toll will be with us until we come to see that no crime justifies permanent civic death.
Enforcement priorities and arrest patterns must not lead to disparate treatment under the law, even if such treatment is unintended. And police forces should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
I am asking that every American everywhere, in every state, in every zip code have the same opportunities and the same right to live.
But I wound like people to think I was an honest judge and a good judge. And I always tried the reach the best result in every case.
People who are well represented at trial do not get the death penalty.
No matter what his crimes were, Alton Sterling did not deserve to be executed for them. Look, guys, the punishment for resisting arrest shouldn't be death. The punishment for selling bootleg CDs shouldn't be death. The punishment for having a gun in an open-carry state shouldn't be death. The punishment for being a black man shouldn't be death.
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