In his personal relations he was unpretentious to the point of being casual, almost as if to put friends and colleagues at ease with his vast knowledge of history, remarkable grasp of the law, and a mind so precise he was at once formidable and delightful. |
In seeking rational explanations for irrational acts, an explanation becomes the excuse, |
In this case, what we are concerned with is the intent in the little piece of paper called the ballot. Could each county have different results as to what intent is? ... It presents now a federal question to us, to determine whether or not there is new law. |
It involved a constitutional issue of the gravest importance decided 4-3 by a state court on a federal issue that it was our responsibility to take the case, ... Sometimes it is easy, so it seems, to enhance your prestige by not exercising your responsibility, but that's not been the tradition of our court. |
It is beyond question that had this encounter occurred on the street it would be constitutional. The fact that an encounter takes place on a bus does not on its own transform standard police questioning of citizens into an illegal seizure, |
It is proper that we acknowledge the overwhelming weight of international opinion against the juvenile death penalty, resting in large part on the understanding that the instability and emotional imbalance of young people may often be a factor in the crime. |
It is rare that a regulation restricting speech because of its content will ever be permissible ... Indeed, were we to give the Government the benefit of the doubt when it attempted to restrict speech, we would risk leaving regulations in place that sought to shape our unique personalities or to silence dissenting ideas. |
It seems to me that this is troublesome, |
It seems to me very dangerous for this court to take away that control mechanism. |
It's a tough case, |
Just the thought of a rap version of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or 'Achy, Breaky Heart' is bound to make people smile. |
My colleagues and I want to be the most trusted people in America, ... How do you instill that trust? Over time you build up a deposit, a reservoir, a storehouse of trust. When we make a difficult decision in many areas -- and this was not the most difficult decision the court has made -- for many of us, you draw down on that capital of trust. |
Our system presumes that there are certain principles that are more important than the temper of the times. And you must have a judge who is detached, who is independent, who is fair, who is committed only to those principles, and not public pressures of other sort. That's the meaning of neutrality. |
some might say that if it showed a flawed system, then people ought to know about it. |
Sometimes it is easy...to enhance your prestige by not exercising your responsibility, but that's not been the tradition of the court. |