Federal Judges Quotes

• As long as judges tinker with the Constitution to 'do what the people want,' instead of what the document actually commands, politicians who pick and confirm new federal judges will naturally want only those who agree with them politically.

  Antonin Scalia

  Law, Long, People

  "'Get over it': Justice Scalia's most memorable quotes" by Bill Mears, www.foxnews.com. February 15, 2016.

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• One single object . . . [will merit] the endless gratitude of the society: that of restraining the judges from usurping legislation.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Gratitude, Judging, Politics

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• I believe the two biggest mistakes made by the Founders were giving Federal judges life-time appointments and permitting them to be confirmed without the agreement of two-thirds of the members of the United States Senate.

  John Jay Hooker

  Mistake, Believe, Agreement

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• Who's gonna give me a TV show? I didn't work for an impeached, disbarred President who was held in contempt by a federal judge. That's what they look for in objective reporters.

  Ann Coulter

  Tv Shows, Giving, Judging

  Ann Coulter (2007). “If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans”, p.228, Crown Forum

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• I'm glad I made the decision, although the practice of law - and particularly serving as a federal judge - was a part of my life that I really enjoyed and treasured and look back on it with fondness.

  George J. Mitchell

  Law, Practice, Judging

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• Absent scandal, a federal judge can serve for decades on the bench, underscoring the importance of appointing judges who have a proper understanding of their constitutional role.

  Paul Weyrich

  Judging, Understanding, Roles

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• In my legal practice, I have seen certain Federal judges controlled or influenced by large corporations..., by large law firms...on more than one occasion(, and) ...by special interests...(some) ought to be thrown right off the bench because they are breaking every code of conduct.

  Orrin Hatch

  Dark, Law, Practice

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• There's a sorry history of these kinds of charges of bias being leveled at women and judges of color, and also gay and lesbian judges. The theory being that they're going to be incapable of a disinterested judgment on matters that involve their own identity groups. And it came up famously for Constance Baker Motley who was one of the first African American federal judges in a case involving sex discrimination.

  Deborah Rhode

  Sex, Sorry, Gay

  "What Would Brandeis Do?". "Amicus" with Dahlia Lithwick, www.slate.com. June 16, 2016.

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• There's no question that Donald Trump has said things that are very unsettling. I mean, whether it's comparing Mexicans to rapists, demonizing Muslim Americans, excoriating the federal judge who was handling the case.

  Donna Brazile

  Mean, Judging, Trump

  "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, abcnews.go.com. August 28, 2016.

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• There are people who oppose a federal Constitutional amendment because they think that the law of family should be made by the states. I can see a legitimate argument there. I think it's mistaken, however, because the federal government, through the decisions of life-tenured federal judges, has already taken over that area.

  Dallin H. Oaks

  Taken, Thinking, Government

  Source: www.mormonnewsroom.org

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• Frank Johnson was recognized as one of the great federal judges of American history, I suppose. He was a law-and-order judge. He was a classical, I think, conservative. But he believed that civil rights provided in the Constitution applied to everybody.

  Jeff Sessions

  Thinking, Rights, Order

  Source: www.politico.com

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• When I graduated from law school in 1959, there wasn't a single woman on any federal bench. It wouldn't be a realistic ambition for a woman to want to become a federal judge.

  Ruth Bader Ginsburg

  Ambition, School, Law

  "Ruth Bader Ginsburg on becoming ‘Notorious’". "NewsHour Bookshelf" with Gwen Ifill, www.pbs.org. October 10, 2016.

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• The federal judiciary is unlike the other branches of government. And once confirmed, a federal judge serves for life. And there's no court above the Supreme Court.

  Patrick Leahy

  Government, Judging, Branches

  U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judge Samuel Alito's Nomination to the Supreme Court, www.washingtonpost.com. January 9, 2006.

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• The courage of federal Judge Frank Johnson is well-known.He was the one that gave the legal authority for the right to march from Selma to Montgomery, and he suffered dearly for it. He was ostracized and rejected. His life was threatened as a result of it.

  Dick Durbin

  Judging, March, Well Known

  Source: www.washingtonpost.com

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• A federal judge did as he was supposed to do and upheld the Constitution. We should be thankful that we have judiciary that will do that.

  Michael Newdow

  Judging, Being Thankful, Thankfulness

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• It is surely only a matter of time before some federal judge finds the Constitution unconstitutional.

  Mark Steyn

  Judging, Matter, Constitution

  Mark Steyn (2012). “After America: Get Ready for Armageddon”, p.73, Regnery Publishing

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• The best (remedy) I can devise would be to give future commissions to (federal) judges for six years with a re-appointability by the President with the approbation of both houses. If this would not be independence enough, I know not what would be.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Years, Giving, Judging

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• That's not the federal law. What you're confusing is law with the opinion of a justice, what one lone federal judge says is not law.

  Roy Moore

  Law, Justice, Judging

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• You know who has tenure? The pope has tenure. The Queen of England has tenure. So does Fidel and the communists - because they represent the people, of course (scoff). Federal judges have tenure as well - no federal judge has ever successfully been removed. And then there's the college professors. Me. How do you like that?

  Ira Carmen

  Queens, College, Judging

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• I am one who believes that the people's views and values are represented by those who they elect in the legislative branch and not unelected federal judges appointed for life.

  George Allen

  Believe, Views, People

  Source: www.nbcnews.com

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• Constitutions are violated, and it would be absurd to expect the federal government to enforce the Constitution against itself. If the very federal judges the Constitution was partly intended to restrain were the ones exclusively charged with enforcing it, then "America possesses only the effigy of a Constitution." The states, the very constituents of the Union, had to do the enforcing.

  John Taylor

  America, Government, Judging

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• I think we need to start with Philadelphia and make sure that we actually get some election reform in Philadelphia. Actually, a recent election was thrown out by a federal judge because of corruption with the voting process in Philadelphia.

  Patrick McHenry

  Thinking, Philadelphia, Judging

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• What the framers of the Constitution tried to achieve when they wrote that Constitution back in the 1700s was an independent federal judiciary. They wanted federal judges to be appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and to serve for good behavior.

  Sandra Day O'Connor

  Independent, Judging, Advice

  Source: www.realclearpolitics.com

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• The Middle East is literally going up in flames, as is California, and Katrina's problems haven't been solved, and Congress' response is to criticize Federal judges.

  Alcee Hastings

  Flames, California, Judging

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• The liberals are fighting so hard whenever President Bush appoints any federal judges.

  Steve Chabot

  Fighting, Judging, President

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