Toobin: Chief Justice Roberts Was Oddly Quiet During Oral Arguments

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts smiles as he is introduced at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, in Lincoln, Neb., Friday, Sept. 19, 2014. Chief Justice Roberts said he’s worried about growing partis... U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts smiles as he is introduced at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, in Lincoln, Neb., Friday, Sept. 19, 2014. Chief Justice Roberts said he’s worried about growing partisanship in the judicial confirmation process and a public perception that the court is a political body. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) MORE LESS
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CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin noted something odd coming out of the first hour and a half of oral arguments at the Supreme Court hearing on King v. Burwell: Chief Justice John Roberts was conspicuously quiet.

“Chief Justice Roberts said almost nothing for an hour and a half,” Toobin said on CNN on Wednesday. “I guess he was keeping his powder dry. It was certainly unusual in that regard.”

Toobin noted that Roberts’ silence is especially unusual given that he’s the chief Supreme Court justice.

“The chief justice is among the most active questioners and he said barely a word,” Toobin said.

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  1. Guess he was just listening real hard like he always does - trying to come to the right decisions for the good of corporate America. (In this case, keep the ACA, you jerk!- the health insurance companies love it!)

  2. I am betting that he was thinking why in the hell did we take this insane dumb and stupid case.

  3. Avatar for agio agio says:

    Hungover? Was he sipping from a bottle of gatoraid?

  4. Avatar for dswx dswx says:

    “Toobin: Chief Justice Roberts Was Oddly Quiet During Oral Arguments”
    Said the reporter who famously destroyed his credibility by anxiously reporting that the SCOTUS had found that the ACA was unconstitutional. Not that credibility matters to CNN.

  5. He’s already made up his mind.

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