Roberts Faces Many Challenges in Upcoming Court Sessions

By Paul Strand
Washington Sr. Correpsondent

CBN.com – WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court began its new term with John Roberts as chief justice Monday.

And he has a long list of controversial cases to shepherd through the court.

In an elaborate Supreme Court ceremony today, Roberts donned the robe of the chief justice for the first time and took the middle seat among his new colleagues.

Sunday, President Bush gathered with Roberts and other Supreme Court justices at an annual rite in Washington for the judicial system -- the Red Mass.

The Roberts court starts right awy facing huge cultural and social issues.

First up Wednesday is whether to let Oregon's assisted-suicide law stand. The Bush administration argues that Oregon doctors are using federally-controlled drugs to kill some terminally-ill Oregonians and that violates federal drug laws.

But many of those facing slow painful deaths in Oregon say they want to control the time of their passing.

Leukemia patient Greg Yaden said, "It's taken so much of the anxiety away and so much fear of the unknown, because I still have control."

Others warn that if the Supreme Court lets Oregon keep assisted suicide legal, it will spread to the other states.

"This is going to be euthanasia in our country in 10, 15 years like we have abortion," commented assisted suicide opponent Ellie Jenny.

California, for one, is considering its own version of an assisted suicide law. Phil Carlson is a California pastor and physician who opposes that law.

"There is no really overestimating the value of our end-of-life experience,” remarked Carlson, “and to truncate that would just be a terrible thing."

Another case will determine whether colleges can boot military recruiters off campus to protest the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy involving homosexuals.

The death penalty will also come up in several cases.

Still another case involves abortion, whether New Hampshire's parental notification law is constitutional -- and the high court could use that case to loosen or tighten how much state lawmakers can restrict abortion.

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