Justice Anthony Kennedy’s Tolerance Is Seen in His Sacramento Roots; New York Times, 6/21/15

Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times; Justice Anthony Kennedy’s Tolerance Is Seen in His Sacramento Roots:

"Today, advocates of same-sex marriage predict Justice Kennedy will take the next big step, by ruling it is protected under the Constitution. But Mr. Cappuccio, the former clerk, warns that “it would be a mistake to take Justice Kennedy’s vote in the same-sex marriage case for granted, because he also has a lifetime of experience as a judge who takes seriously the limited role of the federal courts.”

Here in Sacramento, where the county courthouse is now named in Mr. Schaber’s honor, those who knew him cannot help but wonder if the justice is thinking about his old friend. Shortly after Mr. Schaber died in November 1997, more than 750 dignitaries, judges and lawyers gathered in a downtown Sacramento auditorium to honor him on what would have been his 70th birthday. President Bill Clinton sent a letter; Robert Matsui, the Democratic congressman, spoke.

But all eyes were on Justice Kennedy, the American Bar Association newsletter reported, as he delivered the eulogy, with Mr. Schaber’s familiar round face displayed on a giant videoscreen.

He recalled Mr. Schaber’s record of helping others: “the student who needed financial aid,” or “the professional whose career was on the brink of ruin and just needed a second chance.”

And he talked of Mr. Schaber’s commitment “to a law that seeks compassion, to a law that seeks justice.” As he spoke, Justice Kennedy “paused to look up at Schaber’s face on the screen,” the newsletter said, “as if to seek approval from his longtime friend.”"