Chief Justice Roberts Should Retire

 

Pamela Paul’s suggestion, that Chief Justice Roberts, by retiring, would help the Supreme Court move toward positions that more broadly reflect the opinions of most Americans, rather than those of an extremist faction, is naive and nonsensical. Granted his replacement by a liberal Chief would tip the ideological balance on the court a little to the left. But the remaining five Justices, constituting the ultra-conservative majority, would still be firmly entrenched and will continue their march toward dismantling the rule of law, protecting the rich and corporate citizenry, the ultra-religious and the gun-crazed segment of society. Only expanding the court or imposing fixed terms will prevent the current constitutional death spiral from continuing into the foreseeable future.