Supreme Court Justice Breyer Speaks In LA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer says the notion that federal judges make decisions based on politics is grossly distorted.
Breyer spoke Wednesday at the city's downtown Central Library and said a 2000 Supreme Court ruling that led to George W. Bush becoming president instead of Al Gore damaged confidence in the federal judiciary.
However, Breyer believes the nation's highest court is in good standing with the American public.
He noted that when judges have pursued political objectives, most notable the 1857 Dred Scott decision that said people of African descent weren't protected by the Constitution, the results have been disastrous.
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