FACT CHECK: Was Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Arrested?

A post shared on Facebook claims Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has been arrested and charged for child trafficking, among other charges.

Verdict: False

There is no record of Roberts being arrested for child trafficking, or any other charges.

Fact Check:

“Breaking News! Chief Justice John Roberts has been arrested for child trafficking, plus other charges!” the July 14 Facebook post reads, citing someone named Scott Brunswick as the source of the claim. Brunswick has previously been cited as the source for other Facebook posts, including one that falsely claimed former President Donald Trump retained full control of the military.

There is no evidence, however, that Roberts was arrested for child trafficking, or anything else. Check Your Fact searched press releases from the Supreme Court and the FBI, but found no mention of Roberts being arrested. Had the chief justice been arrested, major media outlets almost certainly would have reported on it, yet none have.

While Supreme Court Justices are able to hold office “as long as they choose,” according to the Supreme Court’s website, they are able to be removed by impeachment. Justices can be impeached for committing “treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors,” per the U.S. Constitution.

If Roberts was arrested for child trafficking, he would likely be susceptible to an impeachment charge from Congress, but there has not been any congressional action taken against him, according to Congress.gov. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show Chief Justice John Roberts With Ghislaine Maxwell)

Roberts most recently released a statement July 1 marking the end of the term, and the start of Supreme Court recess until October.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases