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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• If we stuck to the Constitution as written, we would have: no federal meddling in our schools; no Federal Reserve; no U.S. membership in the UN; no gun control; and no foreign aid. We would have no welfare for big corporations, or the "poor"; no American troops in 100 foreign countries; no NAFTA, GAT, or "fast-track"; no arrogant federal judges usurping states rights; no attacks on private property; no income tax. We could get rid of most of the agencies, and most of the budget. The government would be small, frugal, and limited.

  Ron Paul

  Country, School, Gun

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• Candidates With Deeply Held Christian Beliefs Are Unfit and Disqualified From Serving As A Federal Judge.

  Charles Schumer

  Christian, Judging, Belief

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• For the most part, much of the legal world's attention has been focused on Donald Trump and his attacks on Gonzalo Curiel, the federal judge who is currently presiding over the Trump University fraud cases in California. Trump somehow managed to offend surprising numbers of establishment Republicans.

  Dahlia Lithwick

  California, Numbers, Judging

  Source: www.slate.com

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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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• Because the union of a man and woman deserves an honored place in our society, I support the protection of marriage against activist judges. And I will continue to appoint federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law.

  George W. Bush

  Gay, Men, Personal Opinions

  2004 Republican National Convention Address, delivered 2 September 2004, Madison Square Garden, New York

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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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• Any analyst at any time can target anyone. Any selector, anywhere I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant, to a federal judge, to even the President

  Edward Snowden

  Nsa, Judging, President

  "Snowden -- facts, fictions and fears" by Michael Hayden, edition.cnn.com. July 24, 2013.

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