Secretary John G. Roberts Jr. defended judicial independence and condemned attempts to fire each judge during a rare public opinion Wednesday evening.
“Barge each is not a way to register disagreements in a decision,” the Supreme Court told a crowd of about 600, primarily lawyers and judges, in his hometown of Buffalo.
The statement was his first since publishing a similar, unusual written statement in response to the threats by President Trump and his allies by his allies to federal judges who issued decisions on administrative policies.
The Supreme Court judge did not directly mention the president in comments Wednesday, and he did not further elaborate on his answers about the threat of each. He responded to direct questions during the event to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.
But nonetheless, the trial was noteworthy given that justice avoids eschewing the emphasis on usually political issues. His comments came less than a week after Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson condemned an attack on the judiciary in a statement at a meeting for judges held in Puerto Rico.
Judge Jackson criticized what she called a “relentless attack” on the judge and the harassment environment that “will ultimately undermine our constitution and the rule of law.”
“Across the country, judges face an increasing threat of professional retaliation not only for physical violence but for doing our job,” Judge Jackson said.
Secretary Roberts spoke during an hour's conversation with longtime friend, District Court Judge Lawrence J. Viraldo.
“It's central,” replied Secretary Roberts. He added that the judicial work is “clearly determining the case, but checking for overabundance of Congress or enforcement in the process, which requires some degree of independence.”
At that moment, the crowd applauded.
The public figure of Secretary Roberts came as he put intense pressure on the judiciary as he navigated the surge in emergency to administration policies that emerged from court agendas.
Also, federal judges across the country face scrutiny from the administration, particularly those that oversee famous cases that challenge administration policies. Several federal and state judges were in their rooms on Wednesday evening, listening to what the Supreme Court judge said.
In mid-March, President Trump called judge James E. Boasberg “a radical left-mad man.” A few hours later, the Supreme Court justice issued a rare official statement.
“For over two centuries, it has been established that each is not an appropriate response to differences in opinion over judicial decisions,” the Supreme Court said. “There is a normal appeal review process for that purpose.”
The statement, which did not name Mr. Trump or Justice Boasberg, repeated two early moments in which the Supreme Court judge had heavily on political issues in recent years.
In 2018, he issued a statement after Trump summoned a judge who opposed his first administration's asylum policy, “Judge Obama.”
“We don't have Judges Obama, Judges Trump, Judges Bush, or Clinton,” Judges Roberts said in a statement. “What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges who do their best to equalize those who appear before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be grateful for.”
In 2020, he criticized New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader. He criticized the comments he made during a Supreme Court rally, but the judge heard of a massive abortion case.
“You've released a whirlwind, and you'll pay the price,” Schumer said, referring to two of Trump's appointees, including Judge Neil M. Golsh and Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh. “If you proceed with these terrible decisions, you don't know what hit you.”
In a statement, he replied, “This kind of threatening statement from the highest level of the government is not only inappropriate, but also dangerous.”
Schumer walked his comments the next day and said that it meant he had political consequences.
