The task of a judge is not to make the law - it is to apply the law.

I have never, ever focused on the negative of things. I always look at the positive.

As a Catholic, you can have two views on capital punishment. You can think, let Caesar do what Caesar needs to do, and the law says you can impose capital punishment, so you impose it. You can [also] be a Catholic who says we can't kill, we can't kill babies and we can't kill adults. If you let a decision be driven by your personal views, then you are not doing what a judge needs to do, which is enforce the laws of the society that you are in. But you can control your own behavior, and that is the choice that the church and God gives us - what kind of people are we going to be.

I think being a Catholic made me a better person. It taught me how to choose good over evil, and how to be a more caring human being.

I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge regardless of their background or life experiences.

Don't be shy about making a teacher of any willing party who knows what he or she is doing.

All of the legal defense funds out there, they're looking for people out there with court of appeals experience, because court of appeals is where policy is made. And I know, I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don't make law, I know. I know.