Chief Justice John Roberts' summer retreat in Maine has become a subject of national scrutiny after an October 1 New York Times report described protests and strained relationships in the island community where he has vacationed for more than two decades.
The report, by Jodi Kantor, describes Hupper Island as a small, car-free community with barely two dozen homes, about 90 miles northeast of Portland. Its account of Roberts' summers contrasts earlier potluck dinners and friendships with growing anger directed at the Supreme Court. Those observations are the Times' reporting, based on interviews with island residents.
The coverage also prompted a criticism of how far scrutiny of a public official should extend into private life. Writing October 1 at Reason's Volokh Conspiracy, constitutional law professor Josh Blackman discussed kayak protests near Roberts' home and pressure on people who socialize with his family.
Blackman argued that the Times account revealed little about the court's decisions and described isolation rather than an allegation of misconduct by Roberts. That is his assessment of the reporting, rather than a finding about the protesters or the chief justice.
Roberts became chief justice in September 2005, according to the court's official biography. The Maine coverage concerns his interactions away from Washington. Readers can consult Kantor's report for the reported island encounters and Blackman's commentary for the objection to its focus.
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