Yes, Roberts Is In the Middle. No, He’s Not a Liberal

On the last Monday in June, Chief Justice John Roberts was a traitor. By Tuesday, he had found his way back into conservatives’ good graces.

The back-to-back rulings on abortion, when he sided with the liberals, and separation of powers, when he agreed with fellow conservatives, demonstrate Roberts’ pivotal role as the “swing justice” on the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s one that came into sharper focus this term when he landed in the majority 96% of the time and in all but one of the 5-4 or equivalent decisions.

Percent justices were in the majority across all cases this term

Illustration: Jonathan Hurtarte/Bloomberg Law

The only time he landed in the minority ...