Study: Scalia Gets Most Laughs on Bench

[Kadie]

Study: Scalia Gets Most Laughs on Bench
By BROOKE DONALD, Associated Press Writer

Saturday, December 31, 2005

(12-31) 17:30 PST BOSTON (AP) --


Court jesters they're not. But the justices on the nation's highest court do draw laughs during oral arguments, and a new study finds that Antonin Scalia brings in the most chuckles from the bench.


Boston University law professor Jay D. Wexler's study shows Scalia easily out-quipped the other eight justices, instigating 77 "laughing episodes" during oral arguments in the nine-month Supreme Court term that began October 2004.

Justice Stephen Breyer, who came in second, got 45 laughs. Clarence Thomas, who rarely speaks in court, was the only justice without so much as a snicker.


snip...
The study, published in early December in the law journal The Green Bag, has its flaws, Wexler conceded, including that the court reporters who record the laughter may be unreliable or biased.


The ("laughter") notation also doesn't distinguish between "the genuine laughter brought about by truly funny or clever humor and the anxious kind of laughter that arises when one feels nervous or uncomfortable or just plain scared for the nation's future," Wexler wrote.


more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/12/31/national/w173042S61.DTL

[bleever]

1. Darn, I first thought that word was "beach"

as though he was being ridiculed.

This is interesting too.

:)

[Zambero]

2. Scalia the SCOTUS stand-up comic?

No surprise here. To begin with, the man just can't be for real. The same would apply to Peter Sellers and a number of other funny folks. The only exception is that particular comic had class and a functional brain to match.

[0007]

3. Cheney can make the ducks quack also

Clarence Thomas in his insipid mind believes he's.......


Long Dong Silver


John Ashcroft's photo proves Clarence is dreaming again

[Benhurst]

4. There's nobody like Fat Tony when it comes to cracking you up. NT

[Jim Sagle]

5. He had the last laff on us when he stopped the voting in Florida and

appointed w as resident.