Roberts Sworn In As Chief Justice
50-Year-Old Could Lead Supreme Court For Decades
-
Play CBS Video Video Roberts Confirmed, Sworn In Judge John G. Roberts was confirmed and sworn in as the 17th chief justice of the United States Supreme Court and speculation followed over would replace Justice O'Connor's seat, John Roberts reports.
-
Video The Next Vacancy Gloria Borger reports on speculation over President Bush's next nominee to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
-
Video Speaking As Chief Justice After his swearing-in as the 17th chief justice of the United States, John Roberts spoke of the responsibility of defending the Constitution and thanked Americans who supported his nomination.
-
-
John Roberts listens as President Bush talks about him during a swearing his swearing in ceremony Thursday. (AP)
-
John Roberts is sworn in as the 17th chief justice of the United States by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. (AP)
-
After he was sworn in Chief Justice John Roberts said that the bipartisan vote for his nomination was "confirmation of what is for me is a bedrock principle, that judging is different from politics." (CBS)
-
John Roberts, center, shakes hands with an adviser, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, at the end of Roberts' confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005. (AP)
-
Former clerks, including John Roberts, carry the casket bearing Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist's body to the Supreme Court, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005, in Washington. (AP)
-
-
Interactive John G. Roberts Jr. Confirming a Supreme Court nominee: the timetable, the questioners, the background
-
Interactive The Supreme Court History, traditions and key cases, plus what it takes to get on the bench.
-
Special Report Ask The White House Booth Send your questions to Correspondents Jim Axelrod, Bill Plante, Mark Knoller and Peter Maer. Read their answers here.
Roberts told senators during his confirmation hearings that past Supreme Court rulings carry weight, including the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in 1973. He also said he agreed with the 1965 Supreme Court ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut that established the right of privacy in the sale and use of contraceptives.
But he tempered that by saying Supreme Court justices can overturn rulings.
"If the Constitution says that the little guy should win, then the little guy's going to win in the court before me," Roberts told senators. "But if the Constitution says that the big guy should win, well then the big guy's going to win because my obligation is to the Constitution."
Over and over, he has assured lawmakers his rulings would be guided by his understanding of the facts of cases, the law and the Constitution, not by his personal views. "My faith and my religious beliefs do not play a role," said Roberts, who is Catholic.
HOW THE SENATE VOTED:
Voting "yes" were 22 Democrats, 55 Republicans and one independent.
Voting "no" were 22 Democrats.
Alabama=Sessions (R) Yes; Shelby (R) Yes.
Alaska= Murkowski (R) Yes; Stevens (R) Yes.
Arizona= Kyl (R) Yes; McCain (R) Yes.
Arkansas=Lincoln (D) Yes; Pryor (D) Yes.
California=Boxer (D) No; Feinstein (D) No.
Colorado=Allard (R) Yes; Salazar (D) Yes.
Connecticut=Dodd (D) Yes; Lieberman (D) Yes.
Delaware= Biden (D) No; Carper (D) Yes.
Florida= Martinez (R) Yes; Nelson (D) Yes.
Georgia=Chambliss (R) Yes; Isakson (R) Yes.
Hawaii=Akaka (D) No; Inouye (D) No.
Idaho=Craig (R) Yes; Crapo (R) Yes.
Illinois= Durbin (D) No; Obama (D) No.
Indiana= Bayh (D) No; Lugar (R) Yes.
Iowa= Grassley (R) Yes; Harkin (D) No.
Kansas= Brownback (R) Yes; Roberts (R) Yes.
Kentucky=Bunning (R) Yes; McConnell (R) Yes.
Louisiana=Landrieu (D) Yes; Vitter (R) Yes.
Maine=Collins (R) Yes; Snowe (R) Yes.
Maryland=Mikulski (D) No; Sarbanes (D) No.
Massachusetts=Kennedy (D) No; Kerry (D) No.
Michigan=Levin (D) Yes; Stabenow (D) No.
Minnesota=Coleman (R) Yes; Dayton (D) No.
Mississippi=Cochran (R) Yes; Lott (R) Yes.
Missouri=Bond (R) Yes; Talent (R) Yes.
Montana=Baucus (D) Yes; Burns (R) Yes.
Nebraska=Hagel (R) Yes; Nelson (D) Yes.
Nevada=Ensign (R) Yes; Reid (D) No.
New Hampshire=Gregg (R) Yes; Sununu (R) Yes.
New Jersey=Corzine (D) No; Lautenberg (D) No.
New Mexico=Bingaman (D) Yes; Domenici (R) Yes.
New York=Clinton (D) No; Schumer (D) No.
North Carolina=Burr (R) Yes; Dole (R) Yes.
North Dakota=Conrad (D) Yes; Dorgan (D) Yes.
Ohio=DeWine (R) Yes; Voinovich (R) Yes.
Oklahoma=Coburn (R) Yes; Inhofe (R) Yes.
Oregon=Smith (R) Yes; Wyden (D) Yes.
Pennsylvania=Santorum (R) Yes; Specter (R) Yes.
Rhode Island=Chafee (R) Yes; Reed (D) No.
South Carolina=DeMint (R) Yes; Graham (R) Yes.
South Dakota=Johnson (D) Yes; Thune (R) Yes.
Tennessee=Alexander (R) Yes; Frist (R) Yes.
Texas=Cornyn (R) Yes; Hutchison (R) Yes.
Utah=Bennett (R) Yes; Hatch (R) Yes.
Vermont=Jeffords (I) Yes; Leahy (D) Yes.
Virginia=Allen (R) Yes; Warner (R) Yes.
Washington=Cantwell (D) No; Murray (D) Yes.
West Virginia=Byrd (D) Yes; Rockefeller (D) Yes.
Wisconsin=Feingold (D) Yes; Kohl (D) Yes.
Wyoming=Enzi (R) Yes; Thomas (R) Yes.
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From Supreme Court
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
