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Roberts sold more than $250,000 in Microsoft stock

FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2014, file photo, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, in Lincoln, Neb. The Supreme Court's recent decision to step into a relatively unimportant case involving Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming system revealed that Roberts has sold between $250,000 and $500,000 in Microsoft stock in the past year. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, file) FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2014, file photo, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, in Lincoln, Neb. The Supreme Court's recent decision to step into a relatively unimportant case involving Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming system revealed that Roberts has sold between $250,000 and $500,000 in Microsoft stock in the past year. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, file)

By Associated Press February 4, 2016 1 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court’s recent decision to step into a relatively unimportant case involving Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming system revealed that Chief Justice John Roberts has sold between $250,000 and $500,000 in Microsoft stock in the past year.

Federal judges violate the law if they take part in a case involving a company they own shares in. Roberts declined through a court spokeswoman to comment on his situation.

Some experts in judicial ethics say Roberts should follow his own example and sell the other company stocks he owns, as should the other justices with individual stocks in their investment portfolio.

Some of the justices’ investments are in companies that come before the court. Ridding themselves of those stocks would allow justices to take part in cases they must now skip.