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'''John Roberts''' is the 17th and current Chief Justice of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] (2005-). He was appointed by [[President]] [[George W. Bush]] to replace [[William Rehnquist]] as Chief Justice, after having served on the Court of Appeals for the [[D.C. Circuit]].

'''John Roberts''' (1955- ) is the 17th and current Chief Justice of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] (2005-). He was appointed by [[President]] [[George W. Bush]] to replace [[William Rehnquist]] as Chief Justice, after having served on the Court of Appeals for the [[D.C. Circuit]].

Chief Justice [[John Roberts]] is known best for building a consensus, and writing opinions to maximize support by fellow Justices.  While other Justices often cite their own prior opinions, Chief Justice Roberts is a master at citing the decisions of fellow Justices to win their support for his opinion.  But by emphasizing consensus rather than clarity and force of an opinion, Roberts can issue a weak 6-3 or 9-0 opinion rather than a stronger 5-4 version.<ref>''See, e.g.'', ''[[Medellin v. Texas]]'' (2008).</ref>

Chief Justice [[John Roberts]] is known best for building a consensus, and writing opinions to maximize support by fellow Justices.  While other Justices often cite their own prior opinions, Chief Justice Roberts is a master at citing the decisions of fellow Justices to win their support for his opinion.  But by emphasizing consensus rather than clarity and force of an opinion, Roberts can issue a weak 6-3 or 9-0 opinion rather than a stronger 5-4 version.<ref>''See, e.g.'', ''[[Medellin v. Texas]]'' (2008).</ref>

==Confirmation process==  

==Confirmation process==  

With the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, President Bush withdrew Roberts' nomination for associate justice and renominated him for chief justice, with only a slight delay in his confirmation hearings to allow for Rehnquist's funeral services. The nomination was first considered by the 18-member Senate Judiciary Committee. On September 22, the committee voted 13-5 to send Roberts' confirmation to the full Senate, winning the support of Judiciary Committee Chairman [[Arlen Specter]] (R-[[Pennsylvania]]), and ranking minority member [[Patrick Leahy]] (D-[[Vermont]]). On September 29, Roberts was confirmed by the full Senate by a vote of 78-22. Hours after confirmation, he was sworn in by Associate Justice [[John Paul Stevens]] at the [[White House]].

With the death of Chief Justice [[William Rehnquist]] in 2005, President Bush withdrew Roberts' nomination for associate justice to replace Sandra Day O'Connor and renominated him for chief justice, with only a slight delay in his confirmation hearings to allow for Rehnquist's funeral services. The nomination was first considered by the 18-member Senate Judiciary Committee. On September 22, the committee voted 13-5 to send Roberts' confirmation to the full Senate, winning the support of Judiciary Committee Chairman [[Arlen Specter]] (R-Pennsylvania), and ranking minority member [[Patrick Leahy]] (D-Vermont). On September 29, Roberts was confirmed by the full Senate by a vote of 78-22. Hours after confirmation, he was sworn in by the senior associate justice, [[John Paul Stevens]] at the White House.

==United States Supreme Court==

==United States Supreme Court==

Chief Justice John Roberts served only briefly as a judge on the Court of Appeals for the [[D.C. Circuit]] before being nominated and confirmed for the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] (he was originally nominated in 1992 for the Court of Appeals by the first President Bush, but the Senate controlled by the Democrats at the time did not allow a vote on his nomination). In one important dissent, then-Judge Roberts declared that "a facial challenge can succeed only if there are no circumstances in which the Act at issue can be applied without violating the" Constitution.  ''Rancho Viejo, LLC v. Norton'', 334 F.3d 1158, 1160 (D.C. Cir. 2003), ''cert. denied'', 541 U.S. 1006 (2004).

Chief Justice John Roberts served only briefly as a judge on the Court of Appeals for the [[D.C. Circuit]] before being nominated and confirmed for the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] (he was originally nominated in 1992 for the Court of Appeals by the first President Bush, but the Senate controlled by the Democrats at the time did not allow a vote on his nomination). In one important dissent, then-Judge Roberts declared that "a facial challenge can succeed only if there are no circumstances in which the Act at issue can be applied without violating the" Constitution.  ''Rancho Viejo, LLC v. Norton'', 334 F.3d 1158, 1160 (D.C. Cir. 2003), ''cert. denied'', 541 U.S. 1006 (2004).

 

==Health Problems==  

==Health Problems==  

Justice Roberts suffered a seizure on July 30th 2007 while at his vacation home in Port Clyde, [[Maine]] on Hupper Island. As a result of the seizure he fell five to ten feet but suffered only minor scrapes. The fall occurred on a dock near his house and he was taken by private boat to the mainland. Doctors called the incident a benign idiopathic seizure which means there was no obvious physiological cause. Roberts suffered a similar seizure in 1993.

Justice Roberts suffered a seizure on July 30th 2007 while at his vacation home in Port Clyde, [[Maine]] on Hupper Island. As a result of the seizure he fell five to ten feet but suffered only minor scrapes. The fall occurred on a dock near his house and he was taken by private boat to the mainland. Doctors called the incident a benign idiopathic seizure which means there was no obvious physiological cause. Roberts suffered a similar seizure in 1993.