Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said in an interview that he is considering retiring next year.
Alito told CBS News that the harassment and physical threats judges are receiving are a new danger to the judicial system.
‘We are not part of any political movement. And we are not attempting to further any political agenda.’
CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford asked him if there was a decision that required particular courage, and he said the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was the leading example.
“I think that required courage by all of the justices in the majority,” said Alito.
“Of course … we didn’t know it at the time,” he added. “We didn’t know it when we produced the draft that was leaked, but it required courage to go ahead with that because of the implications.”
He said he had even lost old friendships because of that decision.
“That’s something you have to live with,” Alito added.
“Is that just part of the job being a justice?” she asked. “You’re going to lose friends, you’re going to get protested, you’re going to have death threats, you’re going to have to wear a bulletproof vest today?”
“It’s part of the job that you’re going to displease people by making decisions on controversial matters, because one side or the other is going to really dislike you because of the decisions,” Alito responded.
“The physical threats and the harassment represent something new in our society and something that’s quite disturbing. And I think it’s a danger. It’s a danger for the courts,” he added.
“And it’s a danger for others in public life,” Alito warned.
The 76-year-old went on to say he will consider retiring next year but said it was difficult to predict the political circumstances surrounding the decision.
He also criticized recent presidents for being more vitriolic in their opposition to Supreme Court decisions.
“Did [President Donald] Trump change that?” Crawford asked.
“It’s been bipartisan,” said Alito.
“I want to be evenhanded on this. The criticism of the court by President [Joe] Biden and justices by President Biden and his administration was very harsh. And President Trump has been very harsh.”
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He also denied that the judges had a partisan motivation.
“We are not part of any political movement. And we are not attempting to further any political agenda,” said Alito. “We are trying to interpret the Constitution as best we can and apply it in cases that come before us.”
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