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Court Quotes by William O. Douglas

8 Court quotes by William O. Douglas

All Court quotes William O. Douglas’s page

William O. Douglas’s eight court‑related reflections reveal a jurist’s view of law and justice. Though concise, they hint at his deep commitment to liberty and the role of the judiciary, making them a solid starter for those curious about his legal philosophy.

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One who comes to the Court must come to adore, not to protest. That's the new gloss on the 1st Amendment.

William O. Douglas

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The Court's great power is its ability to educate, to provide moral leadership.

William O. Douglas

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The first opinion the Court ever filed has a dissenting opinion. Dissent is a tradition of this Court... When someone is writing…

William O. Douglas

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The court is really the keeper of the conscience, and the conscience is the Constitution.

William O. Douglas

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It seemed to me that I had barely reached the Court when people were trying to get me off.

William O. Douglas

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One who comes to the Court must come to adore, not to protest. That's the new gloss on the First Amendment.

William O. Douglas

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The right to dissent is the only thing that makes life tolerable for a judge of an appellate court... the affairs of…

William O. Douglas

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The day should come when all of the forms of life... will stand before the court - the pileated woodpecker as well…

William O. Douglas

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More by William O. Douglas

The First Amendment makes confidence in the common sense of our people and in the maturity of their judgement the great postulate of our…

William O. Douglas

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Common sense often makes good law.

William O. Douglas

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Inanimate objects are sometimes parties to litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole -…

William O. Douglas

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Any test that turns on what is offensive to the community's standards is too loose, too capricious, too destructive of freedom of expression to…

William O. Douglas

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I've often thought that if planners were botanists, zoologists, geologists, and people who know about the earth, we would have much more wisdom in…

William O. Douglas

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I have the same confidence in the ability of our people to reject noxious literature as I have in their capacity to sort out…

William O. Douglas

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The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected.

William O. Douglas

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A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it…

William O. Douglas

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At the constitutional level where we work, 90 percent of any decision is emotional. The rational part of us supplies the reasons for supporting…

William O. Douglas

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To be whole and harmonious, man must also know the music of the beaches and the woods. He must find the thing of which…

William O. Douglas

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Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

William O. Douglas

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We deal with a right of privacy older than the Bill of Rights-older than our political parties, older than our school system.

William O. Douglas

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It is our attitude toward free thought and free expression that will determine our fate. There must be no limit on the range of…

William O. Douglas

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The interests of the corporation state are to convert all the riches of the earth into dollars.

William O. Douglas

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There have always been grievances and youth has always been the agitator.

William O. Douglas

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