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The work of deciding cases goes on every day in hundreds of courts throughout the land. Any judge, one might suppose, would find it easy to describe the process which he had followed a thousand times and more. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Judges can determine fair justice far better than any inane federal mandate.

Some of the stuff I do on the court is what most people think they can do.

But, I know enough people in that court, through the years, to know one thing: There's always somebody who surprises you, who rises above what they thought they appointed him for, and stays with the separation of powers, and with the right of the law to decide.

I remain mindful that the role of a judge is a limited one and that judges can't solve every problem. But at the same time, judges play a crucial role in safeguarding liberty and protecting the rights of all citizens.

If the court is a political institution making important political decisions, then the public should debate the politics of Supreme Court decisions.

One cannot tell the High Court what to adjudicate. They must judge, and then the legislature must act accordingly.

If the courts are making the decisions, it matters who the judge is and, of course, people are concerned with what is the bottom line.

Judges need to restrict themselves to the proper resolution of the case before them. They need to avoid the temptation to set broad policy.

I am deeply impressed with the gravity and wisdom with which most federal judges approach the responsibility of sentencing. It is a difficult, soul-searching task at best.