Old hand, new docket

Courts | Roberts takes first case like a pro, while key cases test divided court | Lynn Vincent

Newly minted United States Chief Justice John Roberts took immediate command of his new domain as the high court began working through its 49-case 2005-2006 docket earlier this month.

Mr. Roberts "acted as though he had been chief justice for 20 years," said American Center for Law and Justice chief counsel Jay Sekulow, who observed the proceedings during oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Oregon on Oct. 5. "He had a tremendous command of the courtroom and was clearly the chief."

From the tenor of his questioning, the new chief also clearly favored the U.S. government's argument in Gonzalez, Mr. Sekulow said. A long-running legal duel over physician-assisted suicide, the case may prove to be one of the term's blockbusters.