Supreme Court Justice Breyer Comes Out in Favor of Term Limits for Justices

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Breyer There ░░░░░░░░ are don t let ░░░░░░░░ murder each other And ░░░░░░░░ you re on duty ░░░░░░░░ it s very rewarding ░░░░░░░░ s a rewarding job ░░░░░░░░ Do you ever get ░░░░░░░░ lonely on the court ░░░░░░░░ might you like a ░░░░░░░░ extra members of the ░░░░░░░░ It has been proposed ░░░░░░░░ that we expand the ░░░░░░░░ of members on the ░░░░░░░░ from nine to 11 ░░░░░░░░ 13 What do you ░░░░░░░░ of that Breyer I ░░░░░░░░ nine is fine I ░░░░░░░░ not speaking about anybody ░░░░░░░░ proposal But I ve ░░░░░░░░ that nine seems to ░░░░░░░░ and the Massachusetts supreme ░░░░░░░░ court has seven I ░░░░░░░░ seen them at work ░░░░░░░░ I think seven is ░░░░░░░░ better number I mean ░░░░░░░░ is fine Eight is ░░░░░░░░ nine is fine And ░░░░░░░░ s hard you know ░░░░░░░░ these are not shrinking ░░░░░░░░ any of the members ░░░░░░░░ the court And yet ░░░░░░░░ are going to be ░░░░░░░░ really when they produce ░░░░░░░░ which have more than ░░░░░░░░ or more members signing ░░░░░░░░ to those opinions Because ░░░░░░░░ the country is not ░░░░░░░░ a few reporters are ░░░░░░░░ the country is not ░░░░░░░░ primarily in what Sandra ░░░░░░░░ Connor or what I ░░░░░░░░ David or somebody else ░░░░░░░░ of the Constitution They ░░░░░░░░ to know primarily what ░░░░░░░░ the court think Because ░░░░░░░░ s what the law ░░░░░░░░ and that s what ░░░░░░░░ ll have to follow ░░░░░░░░ the courts and through ░░░░░░░░ advice and in the ░░░░░░░░ generally So it s ░░░░░░░░ important to try to ░░░░░░░░ those five on a ░░░░░░░░ opinion So people who ░░░░░░░░ strong minded definite individuals ░░░░░░░░ to also at the ░░░░░░░░ time try to work ░░░░░░░░ And it works fairly ░░░░░░░░ Not perfectly But fairly ░░░░░░░░ PRESS As an alternative ░░░░░░░░ expanding the court others ░░░░░░░░ suggested including some of ░░░░░░░░ who are running for ░░░░░░░░ in 2020 that we ░░░░░░░░ consider term limits for ░░░░░░░░ of the Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ I believe would require ░░░░░░░░ constitutional amendment Your thoughts ░░░░░░░░ I think that if ░░░░░░░░ were a long term ░░░░░░░░ years I m not ░░░░░░░░ about anybody s proposal ░░░░░░░░ about the political races ░░░░░░░░ about politics or about ░░░░░░░░ And I m actually ░░░░░░░░ saying anything I haven ░░░░░░░░ said many many times ░░░░░░░░ there was no election ░░░░░░░░ the offing But I ░░░░░░░░ it would be fine ░░░░░░░░ have long terms say ░░░░░░░░ years or something like ░░░░░░░░ for a Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ It would make life ░░░░░░░░ You know I wouldn ░░░░░░░░ have to worry about ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ or not And that ░░░░░░░░ be easier for me ░░░░░░░░ moreover it must be ░░░░░░░░ And the reason that ░░░░░░░░ must be long is ░░░░░░░░ you don t want ░░░░░░░░ looking for his next ░░░░░░░░ after while he s ░░░░░░░░ member of the court.”