Top 68 Alito's Quotes
#1. We've been following Judge Alito's career over the last 15 years, while he's been on the Court of Appeals.
Jay Alan Sekulow
#2. In an era where the White House is abusing power, is excusing and authorizing torture and is spying on American citizens, I find Judge [Samuel] Alito's support for an all-powerful executive branch to be genuinely troubling.
Samuel Alito
#3. Judge Samuel Alito's accomplishments in life are the embodiment of the American dream.
Frank Lautenberg
#4. In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims[.
Samuel Alito
#5. I had the good fortune to begin my legal career as a law clerk for a judge who really epitomized open-mindedness and fairness. He read the record in detail in every single case that came before me; he insisted on scrupulously following precedents.
Samuel Alito
#6. Many people have been positive influences in my life. My parents, whom I mentioned, were the most important, but many of my teachers were also a big help to me.
Samuel Alito
#7. Judge Samuel Alito was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey. Our state has a legacy of producing outstanding jurists, most notably the late William J. Brennan, who ushered in our nation's recommitment to civil rights in the latter half of the 20th century.
Frank Lautenberg
#8. In an era when America is still too divided by race and by riches, Judge [Samuel] Alito has not written one single opinion on the merits in favor of a person of color alleging race discrimination on the job: in 15 years on the bench, not one.
Edward Kennedy
#9. A generation earlier, I think that somebody from my background probably would not have felt fully comfortable at a college like Princeton. But, by the time I graduated from high school, things had changed.
Samuel Alito
#10. My parents grew up in poor families where little English was spoken, they both went to college and became teachers. They believed that anything was possible with hard work, and they particularly stressed the importance of education. They instilled that same belief in my sister and me.
Samuel Alito
#11. In decision after decision on the bench, Judge [Samuel] Alito has excused abusive actions by the authorities that intrude on the personal privacy and freedoms of average Americans.
Edward Kennedy
#12. I have been a judge for 15 years and I've made up my own mind during all that time.
Samuel Alito
#13. I think that Congress' ability to reason is fully equal to that of the judiciary.
Samuel Alito
#14. As a government lawyer, Samuel Alito wrote that he personally believe very strongly the Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion.
Dick Durbin
#15. You want us to step in and render a decision based on an assessment of the effects of this institution which is newer than cellphones or the Internet? I mean we - we are not - we do not have the ability to see the future.
Samuel Alito
#16. Judge [Samuel] Alito has a reputation for being an exceptional and honest judge devoted to the rule of law, as well as being a man of integrity.
Chuck Grassley
#17. Part of me wanted to get a graduate degree in political science. Had I done that, I suppose I would have become a college professor.
Samuel Alito
#18. Indeed, only one Supreme Court justice in history, one Horace Lurton, nominated by President [John] Taft, had more federal appeals court experience [than Samuel Alito].
Jon Kyl
#19. This [Judge Samuel Alito] may be one of the most significant or consequential nominations that the Senate will vote on since I've been here in the last three decades.
Joe Biden
#20. I'm one that believes that Samuel Alito appointment on the Supreme Court is a pivotal appointment. And because he replace Sandra Day O'Connor and because she was the fifth vote on 148 cases, you well could be a very key and decisive vote.
Dianne Feinstein
#21. I've learned a lot during my years on the 3rd Circuit, particularly, I think, about the way in which a judge should go about the work of judging. I've learned by doing, by sitting on all of these cases. And I think I've also learned from the examples of some really remarkable colleagues.
Samuel Alito
#22. I believe you [Samuel Alito] and others would look and say that the role of the courts is limited and it's not to decide political matters.
Sam Brownback
#23. A judge can't have any preferred outcome in any particular case. The judge's only obligation - and it's a solemn obligation - is to the rule of law.
Samuel Alito
#24. I think that the legitimacy of the court would be undermined in any case if the court made a decision based on its perception of public opinion.
Samuel Alito
#25. I know that some poor immigrants from that era had unrealistic expectations and were disappointed, but I don't think my grandparents were disappointed at all, even though they experienced some very hard times during the Great Depression.
Samuel Alito
#26. After law school, I had the opportunity to clerk for a tremendous judge, Leonard I. Garth, on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, the court to which I was appointed in 1990.
Samuel Alito
#27. If settled means that it cant be re-examined, thats one thing. If settled means that it is a precedent that is entitled to respect then it is a precedent that is protected.
Samuel Alito
#28. The First Amendment, I think, is the jewel of our Constitution.
Samuel Alito
#29. Judge [Samuel] Alito, I'll tell you the same thing I told John Roberts. I expect you to adhere to the Code of Judicial Conduct.
Jon Kyl
#30. The separation of church and state has been a cornerstone of American democracy for over two hundred years. Getting rid of it was long overdue.
Samuel Alito
#31. This was a time of great intellectual excitement for me. Both college and law school opened up new worlds of ideas.
Samuel Alito
#32. Chief Justice Roberts is somebody I work with, somebody I admire, Justice Alito someone I knew when he was U.S. attorney, also admire.
Rudy Giuliani
#33. Private religious speech can't be discriminated against. It has to be treated equally with secular speech.
Samuel Alito
#34. If you want know what sort of a justice I would make, then look at what sort of a judge I have been.
Samuel Alito
#35. In southern Italy, where my grandparents had lived, there were few opportunities. The society was static, with rigid social classes. Poor people, like my grandparents, had little chance to improve their lives, no matter their talents or willingness to work.
Samuel Alito
#36. I'm very disturbed at the picture that was painted by Senator Ted Kennedy that Samuel Alito is not a man of his word, that he is dishonest. The implication that he is not reliable I don't think is a fair characterization of what I've read.
Tom Coburn
#37. I am deeply honored to have been nominated for a position on the Supreme Court. And I an humbled to have been nominated for the seat that is now held by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Samuel Alito
#38. Judge Samuel Alito, millions of Americans are concerned about your nomination. They're worried that you would be a judicial activist who would restrict our rights and freedoms.
Dick Durbin
#39. I think my independence was a big help to getting Judges Roberts and Alito confirmed, and I think that's recognized.
Arlen Specter
#40. My mother is a first generation American. Her father worked in the Roebling Steel Mill in Trenton, New Jersey.And yet my mother became the first person in her family to get a college degree.
Samuel Alito
#41. All of my grandparents came to the United States from Italy during the early years of the 20th century. I believe that my grandparents came here to take advantage of the opportunities furnished by a growing country with an open society.
Samuel Alito
#42. When I was growing up, we always had a big family dinner at around noon on Sunday. I still love that whenever it is possible to gather the family together.
Samuel Alito
#43. I had the privilege of chairing Judge Samuel Alito confirmation hearing in 1990. And at that time, he had practiced law for 14 years, but only represented one client, the United States government.
Edward Kennedy
#44. Judge [Samuel] Alito enjoys the support and respect of the people who work with him, practice with him and, therefore, know him best.
Chuck Grassley
#45. When I had my confirmation hearing for the Court of Appeals, [my son] Philip was 3 years old. And when I was called up to the chair he took it upon himself to run up and sit next to me in case any hard questions came up.
Samuel Alito
#46. Judge [Samuel] Alito should see criticism as a badge of honor worn by many past and present members of the Court.
Chuck Grassley
#47. I am particularly proud of my contributions in recent cases in which the government has argued in the Supreme Court that racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed and that the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion.
Samuel Alito
#48. I attended the public schools.And I have happy memories and strong memories of those days and good memories of the good sense and the decency of my friends and my neighbors.
Samuel Alito
#49. He [Louis Brandeis] would have not had any patience with that great debate which you're right to kind of signal between Justice Scalia and Justice Alito about do you need a physical trespass into the home or onto the carriage in order to trigger the values of the Fourth Amendment.
Jeffrey Rosen
#50. I think that what my parents taught me about hard work, optimism and education still holds true.
Samuel Alito
#51. My grandparents came worked hard, and I believe they never regretted their decision to come here and make a new start.
Samuel Alito
#52. I want to commend the [Federalist] Society for bringing together the best minds from right, left, and center to debate the most pressing legal issues of the day.
Samuel Alito
#53. A corporation is simply a form of organization used by human beings to achieve desired ends. Protecting the free-exercise rights of corporations like Hobby Lobby, Conestoga, and Mardel protects the religious liberty of the humans who own and control those companies.
Samuel Alito
#55. The most important quality for a judge is open- mindedness to the arguments.
Samuel Alito
#56. As I mentioned, things were particularly hard during the Depression. My paternal grandfather was frequently out of work, and the family was evicted from their home.
Samuel Alito
#57. I can still remember the day, as an assistant U.S. attorney, when I stood up in court for the first time and I proudly said, "My name is Samuel Alito and I represent the United States in this court." It was a great honor for me to have the United States as my client during all of those years.
Samuel Alito
#58. Judge [Samuel Alito], there's a genuine struggle going on well beyond you, well beyond the Congress, in America about how to read the Constitution.
Joe Biden
#59. I have been committed to carrying out my duties ... in accordance with both the letter and spirit of all applicable rules of ethics and canons of conduct.
Samuel Alito
#60. I am especially indebted to a 10th grade English teacher who encouraged me to read great works of literature.
Samuel Alito
#61. If confirmed, Judge [Samuel] Alito could serve on the court for generation or more. And the decisions he will make as justice will have a direct impact on the lives and liberties of our children, our grandchildren, and even our great-grandchildren.
Edward Kennedy
#62. My mother worked for more than a decade before marrying. She went to New York City to get a master's degree. And she continued to work as a teacher and a principal until she was forced to retire.Both she and my father instilled in my sister and me a deep love of learning.
Samuel Alito
#63. When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account.
Samuel Alito
#64. I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools.
Samuel Alito
#65. The fact that Judge [Samuel] Alito is such a baseball fan gives me even more confidence that he knows the proper role of a judge.
Orrin Hatch
#67. I learned that hard work and self-discipline can overcome many obstacles.
Samuel Alito
#68. When I entered college, I thought that I wanted to be a lawyer, but by the time I was set to graduate, I was not too sure of that.
Samuel Alito
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