Retired Justice Breyer: ‘You Move on in the Legal Process’ When You Don’t Like a Decision, You Don’t Try to ‘Impeach’ the Judge

BLITZER We re tracking ░░░░░░░░ fallout from Chief Justice ░░░░░░░░ Roberts very rare statement ░░░░░░░░ President Trump s calls ░░░░░░░░ impeach a federal judge ░░░░░░░░ blocked his deportation flights ░░░░░░░░ us now right here ░░░░░░░░ the Situation Room the ░░░░░░░░ U S Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ Stephen Breyer He s ░░░░░░░░ author of the brand ░░░░░░░░ book entitled Reading the ░░░░░░░░ Why I Chose Pragmatism ░░░░░░░░ Textualism Here it is ░░░░░░░░ here excellent new book ░░░░░░░░ Breyer thanks so much ░░░░░░░░ joining us Good timing ░░░░░░░░ discuss what s going ░░░░░░░░ right now I know ░░░░░░░░ told our Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ Joan Biskupic that this ░░░░░░░░ rare statement from the ░░░░░░░░ Justice John Roberts was ░░░░░░░░ because it was short ░░░░░░░░ your words short informative ░░░░░░░░ didn t blame anyone ░░░░░░░░ was this the right ░░░░░░░░ for Chief Justice Roberts ░░░░░░░░ speak out Breyer People ░░░░░░░░ talking about the case ░░░░░░░░ they have been in ░░░░░░░░ profession in the District ░░░░░░░░ Columbia Court Judge Boasberg ░░░░░░░░ so forth And look ░░░░░░░░ this statement Two sentences ░░░░░░░░ more than two centuries ░░░░░░░░ has been established that ░░░░░░░░ is not an appropriate ░░░░░░░░ to disagreement concerning a ░░░░░░░░ decision BLITZER This is ░░░░░░░░ Justice Roberts Breyer That ░░░░░░░░ right BLITZER Yeah Breyer ░░░░░░░░ this is his press ░░░░░░░░ The normal appellate review ░░░░░░░░ exists for that purpose ░░░░░░░░ now you know 299 ░░░░░░░░ of our or more ░░░░░░░░ that 229 million of ░░░░░░░░ 230 million people how ░░░░░░░░ do we have BLITZER ░░░░░░░░ like that Breyer Yeah ░░░░░░░░ like that are not ░░░░░░░░ They re not judges ░░░░░░░░ don t know And ░░░░░░░░ is an informative and ░░░░░░░░ statement Look BLITZER So ░░░░░░░░ think it was appropriate ░░░░░░░░ I do because they ░░░░░░░░ t know I mean ░░░░░░░░ you have a district ░░░░░░░░ judge or you have ░░░░░░░░ court of appeals judge ░░░░░░░░ is going to win ░░░░░░░░ somebody is going to ░░░░░░░░ What do you think ░░░░░░░░ losing side thinks of ░░░░░░░░ judge or the judge ░░░░░░░░ decision Naturally they think ░░░░░░░░ s wrong Of course ░░░░░░░░ happens every day of ░░░░░░░░ week across the entire ░░░░░░░░ And judges are wrong ░░░░░░░░ So what does that ░░░░░░░░ do He appeals He ░░░░░░░░ for a special writ ░░░░░░░░ some cases but he ░░░░░░░░ others to review the ░░░░░░░░ Since 1805 and indeed ░░░░░░░░ it was always considered ░░░░░░░░ this country it was ░░░░░░░░ and it was Chase ░░░░░░░░ was they tried to ░░░░░░░░ in 1805 No you ░░░░░░░░ t BLITZER If you ░░░░░░░░ t like if you ░░░░░░░░ t like a judge ░░░░░░░░ decision you go ahead ░░░░░░░░ appeal it Breyer Correct ░░░░░░░░ to a higher court ░░░░░░░░ Correct BLITZER And you ░░░░░░░░ on the legal process ░░░░░░░░ Correct BLITZER as opposed ░░░░░░░░ simply saying We re ░░░░░░░░ to impeach him Breyer ░░░░░░░░ you move on in ░░░░░░░░ legal process And that ░░░░░░░░ informs this two sentence ░░░░░░░░ that tells our 330 ░░░░░░░░ people it tells them ░░░░░░░░ how the complicated legal ░░░░░░░░ So what does it ░░░░░░░░ about President Trump that ░░░░░░░░ s calling for the ░░░░░░░░ of a federal judge ░░░░░░░░ Well the statement doesn ░░░░░░░░ mention the president It ░░░░░░░░ t mention BLITZER But ░░░░░░░░ know we know what ░░░░░░░░ statement was referring to ░░░░░░░░ timing is clearly obvious ░░░░░░░░ No you can ask ░░░░░░░░ person who made the ░░░░░░░░ But you know he ░░░░░░░░ trying to explain to ░░░░░░░░ people of this country ░░░░░░░░ the legal system works ░░░░░░░░ how it doesn t ░░░░░░░░ It doesn t work ░░░░░░░░ impeaching a judge because ░░░░░░░░ don t like his ░░░░░░░░ BLITZER Yeah Breyer And ░░░░░░░░ the way you may ░░░░░░░░ right The other side ░░░░░░░░ be wrong BLITZER Right ░░░░░░░░ There are two sides ░░░░░░░░ crosstalk BLITZER Take it ░░░░░░░░ an appeal Breyer Correct ░░░░░░░░ And and move on ░░░░░░░░ Breyer Correct BLITZER legally ░░░░░░░░ the process.”
Breyer: “Correct.”