The chief justice has embraced a go-slow approach to the most divisive issues facing the high court. Experts wonder if that’s still possible now that the court has a 6-3 conservative majority.
- Once a swing vote, Roberts is now sometimes outvoted by more conservative justices.
- A stream of leaks about the abortion case suggests an unusual degree of discord at the court.
- Roberts might be able to uphold part of Roe v. Wade, but experts say chances are slim.
WASHINGTON – Chief Justice John Roberts had a consistent message at his confirmation hearing 17 years ago: His approach, he said then, would be one of restraint and stability at the Supreme Court.
“Given my view of the role of a judge, which focuses on the appropriate modesty and humility, the notion of dramatic departures is not one that I would hold out much hope for,” Roberts said at his 2005 hearing when asked if he thought the court’s methods would vary from that of his predecessor, Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
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