This Was A Time Of

I Had The Good Fortune To Begin My Legal Career As A Law Clerk For A Judge Who Really Epitomized Open-mindedness And Fairness. He Read The Record In Detail In Every Single Case That Came Before Me; He Insisted On Scrupulously Following Precedents.

I Think That The Legitimacy Of The Court Would Be Undermined In Any Case If The Court Made A Decision Based On Its Perception Of Public Opinion.

Good Judges Are Always Open To The Possibility Of Changing Their Minds Based On The Next Brief That They Read, Or The Next Argument That's Made By An Attorney Who's Appearing Before Them, Or A Comment That Is Made By A Colleague During The Conference On The Case When The Judges Privately Discuss The Case.

When I Was Sworn In As A Judge Of The Court Of Appeals, I Took An Oath. I Put My Hand On The Bible And I Swore That I Would Administer Justice Without Respect To Persons, That I Would Do Equal Right To The Poor And To The Rich, And That I Would Carry Out My Duties Under The Constitution And The Laws Of The United States.

The First Amendment, I Think, Is The Jewel Of Our Constitution.