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Judging Quotes

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Judging Quotes

“A judge can manipulate the law. A smart lawyer can keep a killer out of jail.”

Law Judging Smart Lawyer Jail Killers Thieves Manipulate Accountants

Author:Mario Cuomo

“Persuade your fellow citizens it's a good idea and pass a law. That's what democracy is all about. It's not about nine superannuated judges who have been there too long, imposing these demands on society.”

“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.”

People Want Long Law Politics Justice Judging Politician Picks Constitution Agree Lawyer Command Documents Melting Tinkering Federal Judges

Author:Antonin Scalia

“We cannot judge of the fact, but the law upon the fact.”

Facts Law Judging

Author:Chris Pratt

“The law rarely hesitates in declaring its own meaning; but the Judges are frequently puzzled to find out the meaning of others.”

Law Judging Declaring Puzzled

Book:Commentaries on the Laws of England: In Four Books : with an Analysis of the Work

Source: Commentaries on the Laws of England: In Four Books : with an Analysis of the Work

“Here I am a woman attorney being told I can't practice law in slacks by a judge dressed in drag.”

I Can Law Practice Judging Clothes Sexism Drag Attorney Here I Am

Author:Florynce Kennedy

“It is the duty of the Judge in criminal trials to take care that the verdict of the jury is not founded upon any evidence except that which the law allows.”

Care Law Judging Duty Evidence Take Care Criminals Trials Jury Verdict

Author:Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“I am sure from my experience of juries that, in a criminal case especially, they will obey the law as declared by the Judge; they will take the law from the Judge, whether they like it or do not like it, and apply it honestly to the facts before them.”

Facts Law Cases Judging Criminals Honestly Jury

Author:Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“It is better that the law should be certain than that every judge should speculate upon improvements in it.”

Should Law Certain Judging Improvement

Author:Robert Falcon Scott

“Laws ... proportionate and mild should never be dispensed with. Let mercy be the character of the law-giver, but let the judge be a mere machine.”

Should Character Law Judging Machines Mercy Let Me Mere Giver

Book:Jefferson: Political Writings

Source: Jefferson: Political Writings

“I'm a common law judge. I believe in deciding every case on its facts, not on a legal philosophy. And I believe in deciding each case in the most limited way possible, because common law judges have a firm belief that the best development of the law is the one that lets society show you the next step, and that next step is in the new facts that each case presents.”

Way Believe Philosophy Facts Shows Law Next Belief I Believe Common Steps Cases Judging Development I Believe In Firm Next Steps Common Law Firm Beliefs

Author:Sonia Sotomayor

“As a Catholic, you can have two views on capital punishment. You can think, let Caesar do what Caesar needs to do, and the law says you can impose capital punishment, so you impose it. You can [also] be a Catholic who says we can't kill, we can't kill babies and we can't kill adults. If you let a decision be driven by your personal views, then you are not doing what a judge needs to do, which is enforce the laws of the society that you are in. But you can control your own behavior, and that is the choice that the church and God gives us - what kind of people are we going to be.”

People Ifs Thinking Needs Giving Kind Two Law Choices Church Decision Views Judging Baby Behavior Adults Catholic Driven Punishment Capital Punishment Personal Views

Author:Sonia Sotomayor

“Even after going to law school, following the footsteps of my father (an accomplished lawyer and judge at the time); I realized that the suit would never replace the kimono!”

School Law Father Judging Following Lawyer I Realized Suits Accomplished Footsteps Law School Kimonos

Author:Carlos Machado

“Being a judge is sometimes like raising children: litigants get the time they need, not necessarily the time they want, and you have to earn people's respect by communicating to them that you're going to listen, follow the law and make a fair decision.”

People Want Needs Children Sometimes Law Decision Judging Fairs Communicate Raising Children

Author:Steven Pacey

“You want a judge who makes objective decisions, and that's why temperament is such an important component of being a judge. You have to earn people's respect, because they know that you are deciding the case based on the facts and the law, not because they're trying to be your friend.”

People Knows Want Trying Important Facts Law Decision Cases Judging Objectives Components Temperament

Author:Steven Pacey

“Judges ought above all to remember the conclusion of the Roman Twelve Tables :The supreme law of all is the weal [weatlh/ well-being] of the people.”

People Wells Remember Law Judging Ought Tables Supreme Conclusion Well Being Twelve

Author:Francis Bacon

“It's very clear that we are going to have 10 different [abortion] laws and that we are going to have these laws made by judges”

Made Different Law Clear Judging Abortion Abortion Laws

Author:Paul Martin

“I think judicial temperament is a willingness to step back from your own committed views of the correct jurisprudential approach and evaluate those views in terms of your role as a judge. It's the difference between being a judge and being a law professor.”

Thinking Law Term Differences Views Steps Roles Judging Approach Committed Willingness Professors Temperament Evaluate Judicial

Author:John Roberts

“It would be an absurdity for jurors to be required to accept the judge's view of the law, against their own opinion, judgment, and conscience.”

Would Be Law Views Accepting Opinion Judging Judgment Conscience Absurdity Jurors Nullification Judge And Jury

Author:John Adams

“Since natural law was thought to be accessible to the ordinary man, the theory invited each juror to inquire for himself whether a particular rule of law was consonant with principles of higher law. This view is reflected in John Adams' statement that it would be an 'absurdity' for jurors to be required to accept the judge's view of the law, 'against their own opinion, judgment, and conscience.'”

“I don't think the question is if should we have a shield law. I think the question is what kind of shield law we should have. Yes, I'd like to see a federal shield law, but if and only if it provides genuine safeguards and doesn't green-light prosecutors and judges and litigants from going after the press and getting things to which they should not be entitled. It's not a simple kind of litmus test.”

Ifs Thinking Should Kind Light Law Simple Judging Should Have Tests Green Presses Genuine Entitled Shields Prosecutor Ifs And Green Lights

Author:Ted Gup

“Everybody is presumed to know the law except His Majesty's judges, who have a Court of Appeal set over them to put them right.”

Knows Law Judging Court Appeals Majesty

Author:William Henry Maule

“I would like to see Russia develop as democratically as possible. But when we judge Russia we must also consider where the country is coming from. Our concepts of democracy can't just be schematically transferred. However, I do admit that I'm concerned about some recent developments, such as the new laws against non-governmental organizations.”

Country Law Democracy Judging Development Concepts Concerned Organization Russia

Author:Angela Merkel

“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.”

Law Justice Opinion Judging Confusing Lone Federal Judges

Author:Roy Moore

“No person shall be restrained of his liberty but by regular process from a court of justice, authorized by a general law. . . . On complaint of an unlawful imprisonment to any judge whatsoever, he shall have the prisoner immediately brought before him and shall discharge him if his imprisonment be unlawful. The officer in whose custody the prisoner is shall obey the order of the judge, and both judge and officer shall be responsible civilly and criminally for a failure of duty herein.”

Ifs Persons Law Order Process Justice Liberty Judging Duty Responsible Court Prisoner Officers Complaints Being Responsible Imprisonment Discharge Custody Unlawful

Author:Thomas Jefferson

“The whole body of the nation is the sovereign legislative, judiciary, and executive power for itself. The inconvenience of meeting to exercise these powers in person, and their inaptitude to exercise them, induce them to appoint special organs to declare their legislative will, to judge and to execute it. It is the will of the nation which makes the law obligatory.”

Persons Whole Body Law Nations Special Judging Exercise Meetings Executives Organs Sovereign Inconvenience Judiciary Executive Power

Book:The portable Thomas Jefferson

Source: The portable Thomas Jefferson

“We may well soon be subjected to anything that judges want to enforce.... The result will be an enforced inability of the states to pass laws that reflect the principled judgment of their own citizens....And as our Founders taught us so well, ...[that] will be the end of liberty and the establishment of tyranny in America.”

Want Wells May Ends States America Law Results Liberty Taught Judging Citizens Judgment Tyranny Establishment Founders Inability Taught Us Principled Well Soon

Author:Alan Keyes

“Knowing that religion does not furnish grosser bigots than law, I expect little from old judges.”

Littles Doe Law Knowing Judging Bigots

Book:The writings of Thomas Jefferson

Source: The writings of Thomas Jefferson

“In the United States we have all across this country, we have dozens of Halakha courts, in which particularly observant Jews can take these issues of family law to an orthodox Court and have that judge, judge for them. As long as the courts don't violate the laws of the land and as long as there's a room for appeal should one or two parties disagree with the verdict, I don't see how this would have anything to do with being incompatible with what we refer to as Western ideas of democracy.”

Should Long Two Ideas Country States Law United Rooms Party United States Democracy Issues Land Judging Court Western Jew Appeals Orthodox Disagree Dozen Verdict Observant Family Law

Author:Mark Durie

“In its proper meaning equality before the law means the right to participate in the making of the laws by which one is governed, a constitution which guarantees democratic rights to all sections of the population, the right to approach the court for protection or relief in the case of the violation of rights guaranteed in the constitution, and the right to take part in the administration of justice as judges, magistrates, attorneys-general, law advisers and similar positions.”

Source: No Easy Walk to Freedom

“It is not unfrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean nothing else by it but their own liberty, to oppress without control or the restraint of laws all who are poorer or weaker than themselves.”

Ifs Men May Mean Whole Action Law Liberty Judging Restraint Tenors

Author:Samuel Adams

“Genius is answerable only to itself; it is the sole judge of the means, since it alone knows the end; thus genius must consider itself as above the law, for it is the task of genius to remake the law; moreover the man who frees himself from his time and place may take everything, hazard everything, for everything is his by right.”

Knows Men May Mean Ends Law He Man Judging Genius Tasks Sole Hazards Remakes Above The Law

Author:Honore de Balzac

“It has been thought that the people are not competent electors of judges learned in the law. But I do not know this to be true, and, if doubtful, we should follow principle.”

People Ifs Knows Should Has Beens Law Principles Judging Being True Competent Doubtful

Book:The Essential Jefferson

Source: The Essential Jefferson

“If mob law is going to rule, better dismiss, judge, sheriff, etc., and let's all take chances alike. I expect to be lynched in going to Lincoln [New Mexico.] Advise persons never to engage in killing.”

Ifs Persons Law Chance Judging Killing Etc Mexico Advise Take A Chance Sheriffs New Mexico

Author:Billy the Kid

“We Americans think we enjoy self-government. We have all the trappings of self-government, like elections. But in reality, we have gradually lost many of our rights to govern ourselves. We have the form of self-government, but only some of the substance. We are, in a sense, a nation run by a handful of judges who often enforce, not the law, but their personal opinions.”

Thinking Self Reality Government Running Form Law Lost Nations Enjoy Opinion Rights Judging Election Substance Handful Self-government Personal Opinions

Author:Charles Colson

“During my time as a judge, as a justice, and as attorney general, I've had one overarching goal, and that is a strict interpretation and application of the laws and the Constitution. I would be Madisonian.”

Would Be Law Goal Justice Judging Constitution My Time Interpretation Application Strict Attorney

Author:Greg Abbott

“An independent judiciary does not mean judges independent of the Constitution from which they derive their power or independent of the laws that they are sworn to uphold.”

Mean Doe Law Judging Constitution Independent Judiciary Independent Judiciary

Author:Thomas Sowell

“Every single person in the government swears an oath to the very same constitution, to abide by the laws in pursuance of this constitution, and they all have the responsibility to follow its plain words....If a judge makes a ruling that is contrary to the plain words of the Constitution, then it's not law, it's just his bad opinion!”

Ifs Persons Government Law Responsibility Opinion Judging Constitution Contrary Swear Ruling Oath Single Person

Author:Jim Babka

“Much of the Constitution is remarkably simple and straightforward - certainly as compared to the convoluted reasoning of judges and law professors discussing what is called 'Constitutional law,' much of which has no basis in that document....The real question [for judicial nominees] is whether that nominee will follow the law or succumb to the lure of 'a living constitution,' 'evolving standards' and other lofty words meaning judicial power to reshape the law to suit their own personal preferences.”

“The judge's authority derives entirely from the fact that he is applying the law and not his personal values. That is why the American public accepts the decisions of its courts, accepts even decisions that nullify the laws a majority of the electorate or their representatives voted for.”

Facts Law Values Decision Accepting Judging Authority Majority Court Representatives Electorate Personal Values

Book:The Tempting of America

Source: The Tempting of America

“We must use a judicial, rather than a political, standard to evaluate [a nominee's] fitness for the Supreme Court. That standard must be based on the fundamental principle that judges interpret and apply but do not make law.”

Use Law Political Principles Judging Standards Fundamentals Court Supreme Supreme Court Evaluate Judicial Fundamental Principles

Author:Orrin Hatch

“Obama's attitude toward the rule of law is apparent in the words he used to describe what he is looking for in a nominee to replace Justice David Souter. He wants 'someone who understands justice is not just about some abstract legal theory,' he said, but someone who has 'empathy.' In other words, judges should decide cases so that the right people win, not according to the rule of law.”

People Want Should Said Law Used Winning Justice Attitude Cases Judging Theory Empathy Abstract Rule Of Law

Author:Michael Barone

“Dubai was brilliant, they looked around the world. They saw Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, Chicago, Sydney, London all ran British common law. British common law is much better for commerce than is French common law or sharia law. So they took 110 acres of Dubai soil, put British common law with a British judge in charge, and they went from an empty piece of soil to the 16th most powerful financial center in [the] world in eight years.”

“To finish first you have to first finish. Don't get in a position where you go back to go. What's interesting is that some guy whose grandfather was a lawyer and a judge-hurriedly going to Harvard Law with a wave of veterans-I was willing to go into so many different businesses. I was constantly going right into the other fellow's business and doing better than the other fellow did. The reason it was possible? Self-education- developing mental discipline, big ideas that really work.”

Firsts Ideas Different Self Reason Bigs Law Guy Interesting Position Willing Judging Discipline Fellows Wave Lawyer Developing Grandfather Veteran Harvard Self Education Big Ideas

Author:Charlie Munger

“But the Bible says that the unreached will be judged on a quite different basis than those who have heard the gospel. God will judge the unreached on the basis of their response to His self-revelation in nature and conscience. The Bible says that from the created order alone, all persons can know that a Creator God exists and that God has implanted His moral law in the hearts of all persons so that they are held morally accountable to God (Rom. 1.20; 2.14-15). The Bible promises salvation to anyone who responds affirmatively to this self-revelation of God”

“The Court's decision reflects the philosophy that judges should endure whatever interpretive distortions it takes in order to correct a supposed flaw in the statutory machinery. That philosophy ignores the American people's decision to give Congress '[a]ll legislative Powers' enumerated in the Constitution. They made Congress, not this Court, responsible for both making laws and mending them.”

People Giving Should Made Philosophy Law Order Decision Judging Constitution Responsible Court Endure Congress Flaws Machinery Distortion Mending

Author:Antonin Scalia

“I don't want to know what the law is, I want to know who the judge is.”

Knows Want Law Judging

Author:Roy Cohn

“A New York City judge struck down a proposed law to ban sodas larger than 16 ounces. I think Mayor Bloomberg should spend his time trying to improve stuff like education. New York needs a better education system if kids didn't figure out they could get around the 16-ounce soda ban by simply purchasing two 12-ounce sodas.”

Ifs Thinking Needs Should Trying Two Kids Law Stuff Cities Figures New York Judging New York City Bans Mayors Education System Soda Purchasing

Author:Craig Ferguson

“Why then should words challenge Eternity, When greatest men, and greatest actions die? Use may revive the obsoletest words, And banish those that now are most in vogue; Use is the judge, the law, and rule of speech.”

Men Should May Use Action Law Dies Challenges Judging Speech Eternity Revive Vogue Greatest Man Laws And Rules

Book:The Odes & Satyrs of Horace, that Have Been Done Into English by the Most Eminent Hands...: With His Art of Poetry...To this Ed. is Added Several Odes Never Before Published

Source: The Odes & Satyrs of Horace, that Have Been Done Into English by the Most Eminent Hands...: With His Art of Poetry...To this Ed. is Added Several Odes Never Before Published

“I think whether you are a judge on my court or whether you are a judge on a court of appeals or any court, and lawyers too - and if you're interested in law yourself, you'll be in the same situation - you have a text that isn't clear. If the text is clear, you follow the text. If the text isn't clear, you have to work out what it means. And that requires context.”

Ifs Thinking Mean Law Situation Clear Judging Court Work Out Lawyer Appeals In-laws

Author:Stephen Breyer