SUPREME COURT Avoiding conflicts of interest

Conflicts could force John Roberts to sit out Supreme Court cases.
Potential problems: If he is confirmed, chief justice nominee John Roberts may have to disqualify himself from dozens of cases because of conflicts of interest related to his past clientele and financial portfolio.
Up to them: By law, judges have to sit out cases brought by companies in which they or family members own stock -- but they don't have to offer reasons for stepping aside, and they are left to police themselves.
Deep pockets: Money is the most common cause of conflicts, and disqualifications are not infrequent among justices, especially the wealthier ones who have extensive stock holdings.
Some 112 times during the Supreme Court's 2004-05 term the nine justices stepped aside from cases. The breakdown comes from a Washington law firm, Goldstein & amp; Howe, PC, based on its review of cases handled by the court during the term:
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist: 17
Justice John Paul Stevens: none
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor: 27
Justice Antonin Scalia: 2
Justice Anthony Kennedy: none
Justice David Souter: 3
Justice Clarence Thomas: 3
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: none
Justice Stephen Breyer: 60
Source: Associated Press