In a rare public appearance at a time when the courts have come under attack, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts reiterated his support for judicial independence and his rejection of calls to impeach judges.

Chief Justice John Roberts stressed the importance of judicial independence during public remarks Wednesday, noting that the judiciary’s role as a co-equal branch of government is central to the nation’s political system.

Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday defended judicial independence as necessary to “check the excesses of the Congress or the executive," amid attacks on federal judges who have slowed President D