Alberto Gonazales: Roberts Not Obligated to Follow Roe v. Wade
In a new interview with the Associated Press, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said that once Judge John Roberts becomes a Supreme Court Justice, he is no longer obligated to follow precedent like Roe v. Wade...in other words, unlike an Appeals Court Judge who is bound by Supreme Court precedent, as a high court Justice, if he disagrees with it, he could vote to overturn it.
The legal right to abortion is settled for lower courts, but the Supreme Court ``is not obliged to follow'' the Roe v. Wade precedent, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday as the Senate prepared to consider John Roberts' appointment that would put a new vote on the high court.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Gonzales said a justice does not have to follow a previous ruling ``if you believe it's wrong,'' a comment suggesting Roberts would not be bound by his past statement that the 1973 decision settled the issue.
Excerpts from the interview:
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