Three Stooges
In response to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor lamenting that barely one-third of Americans can name all three branches of government:
“I bet you they can name all three stooges.” – Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
Chief Justice
A World Free from Bias and Prejudice
“I hope you seek a world where our constitutional rights to freedom of speech, press, and litigation are protected. I hope you are committed to a world free from discrimination, a world free from poverty, and a world filled with justice and peace. Learning to live in a diverse society free from bias and prejudice might be the biggest challenge we face in this century.” -Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
What is Law
“Law is the principal means of knitting together our diverse cultures and people.” – Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
Several People on the Court
“The point of having several people on the court is to have differing experiences, different viewpoints, different opportunities to have looked at various aspects of the law. If everybody always agreed, we could have a one-justice court and we’d be overpaying six.” -Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
Activist Judge
“Nobody knows what activist judge means when they say it, and for the listener it doesn’t have any meaning. When you say somebody’s an activist judge, what you’re really saying is I don’t like that particular opinion. I think the people who use it think it’s a slur and it will ultimately take on their connotation.” – Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
Independent Judiciary
“Without an independent judiciary, none of us in the United States has a fair chance in court. That is what we must protect.” -Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
Abrasive or Forthright?
“What’s abrasive to one guy is forthright, honest and to be admired by another guy. What’s abrupt to one person is not wasting a lot of time to another.” -Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
What Judges are For
“I certainly believe that criminals ought to be apprehended, tried, convicted and put in prison when necessary. And a lot of times it is necessary. But we are a country of laws. And we do all of that according to laws. And that’s what judges are there for.” -Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
Shirley ‘The Body’ Abrahamson
“I hope this election is not going to be about aerobics. I have been introduced across the state as Shirley ‘The Body’ Abrahamson.” -Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson
Teenagers Driving
“The toughest decision I’ve made is whether to give my kid the car keys when he was 16.” – Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson