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. – Justice Samuel Alito, United States Supreme Court
The lynchpin of democracy is consensus. That does not mean everyone must agree about everything. It means that even when we disagree about what the law should be, we agree to abide by the decisions made by those to whom we have given authority to make them.
In its simplest form, the rule of law means that we agree to abide by the decisions of those empowered to make them, even when we disagree. In a democracy, if we’re unhappy with our laws, we elect people with the power to change them. We lobby, we campaign, we voice our opinions.
And then we accept the outcome.
I am proud and humbled to serve to serve as a judicial officer in the State of Indiana.
Shortly after joining the Indiana Supreme Court, I was asked how I liked my new friends — the other justices.
“They’re not my friends,” I responded. “They’re my family, my law partners.” Each of us brings a different perspective to the court. While we may not always agree — and it is healthy and good that we do not — we work together civilly and professionally. And each one of us is committed to the Rule of Law.