Clarence Thomas To Other Supreme Court Justices: Be Quiet

[Are_grits_groceries]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Clarence Thomas, the justice long known as the silent member of the Supreme Court, criticized his colleagues Friday for badgering attorneys rather than letting them speak during oral arguments.

Thomas – who hasn't asked a lawyer a question during arguments in nearly four years – said he and the other eight justices virtually always know where they stand on a case by reading legal briefs before oral arguments.

"So why do you beat up on people if you already know? I don't know, because I don't beat up on 'em. I refuse to participate. I don't like it, so I don't do it," Thomas said during an appearance before law students at the University of Alabama.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/24/clarence-thomas-to-other-_n_332464.html

"Thomas – who hasn't asked a lawyer a question during arguments in nearly four years" (and that's something to be proud of?)

Why do they even have oral arguments if their minds are already made up?

This man is a disgrace to the Supreme Court.

[PCIntern]

1. "First we'll give ya a trial, and then we'll hang ya."

[Blue-Jay]

2. Does Justice Clarence Thomas have to choke a bitch?

[MrScorpio]

3. He'd rather be tooling around in his RV nt

[DRoseDARs]

4. What's the matter, Clarice? Did Sotomayor put her pubic hair on your Coke?

[Blue-Jay]

6. Clarice?

[DRoseDARs]

7. It's a play off of a running gag on ABC's Scrubs. Dr. Cox can never address Dr. Dorian by his name.

It's always a female name, and a different one each time.

[MichaelHarris]

5. Is Clarence

about to say something smart? It would be a first.

[Loose Meat]

8. Thurgood Marshall's seat.

That's the one Thomas occupies.

Is there anyone less qualified to follow in such admirable footsteps than Clarence Thomas? He is another gift to America from the Bush Family. He is another reason for us to be thankful to those wonderful people. Didn't George H.W. Bush say that Thomas was "the most qualified person in the country" to be on the Supreme Court when he announced Thomas's appointment?

Those people can tell straight-face lies better than they can tell the truth. I don't think they can tell the truth at all. They do and say whatever is convenient for them at the moment. Pathological liars, the whole Bush Family.

He probably relies on his clerks to write his opinions and doesn't ask any questions because he doesn't understand the cases enough to be able to ask any intelligent questions. What else can you expect from someone who said this?

"Unfortunately, the reality was that, for political reasons or whatever, there was a need to enforce antidiscrimination laws, or at least there was a perceived need to do that."

[saracat]

10. AAARgh! Thomas is a disgrace all around.

[Le Taz Hot]

11. The irony and the agony is certainly not lost

on me, Thurgood Marshall being one of my idols and such. Clarence Thomas' sole contribution to the Supreme Court is pointing to Scalia and uttering, "What he said." Shame on George H.W. Bush and Congress for nominating and confirming this utterly unqualified charlatan.

[mitchum]

24. THAT was an extra little "fuck you" from george herbert walker bush

I can't wait for the day when his family of sociopaths will be faking grief for public consumption

[MadMaddie]

36. Thomas relies on Scalia to determine his rulings.

Thomas is beyond a disgrace. He is lazy and innefectual. He doesn't get that those antidiscrimination laws allowed him to get the the Supreme Court.

Welcome to DU!:hi:

[Loose Meat]

38. Thank you.

Looks like a mighty fine place.

[DaveinJapan]

9. That Supreme Court episode of Boston Legal was a classic...

Denny Crane and Alan Shore have a bet about whether or not Alan can make Clarence Thomas actually speak during his oral arguments.

He manages to elicit a "Hey!" from the Justice, thus winning the bet. :woohoo:



In conclusion, Clarence Thomas is a douche.

[hlthe2b]

14. I miss that show....It was great!

[peekaloo]

17. Damn Dave, you took the post right off of my fingers!

:D

Alan told Thomas to "put down that magazine".

[DaveinJapan]

19. ha! I forgot that punchline!

:yourock: :rofl:

[SpiralHawk]

12. Intellectually incurious

...and incapable. A total Republicon. Woe unto America.

[annabanana]

13. Incurious dunderheads have NO PLACE on the Supreme Court..

Clearly, this guy "goes with his gut" on everything. . . or flips a coin.

[blindpig]

15. Fear and loathing in Elko

http://www.textfiles.com/politics/elko

[HughMoran]

16. "Scalia speaks for me"

There are a lot of things I could say about this most worthless of justices, alas the post would be deleted for using inappropriate language. Worst Supreme Court Judge ever.

[janet118]

25. Ironic that Scalia is one of the most aggressive questioners

I guess Thomas wants to get back to his porno flicks - having to sit up there in front of all those smart people must be a drag. Please, Clarence, do us all a favor - retire.

[hansberrym]

18. Why indeed? Why have oral arguments if no one is listening?

Would having less interuptions and actually listening to the arguments of both sides really be such a bad idea?

Have you read Thomas' dissents in Kelo(emminent domain) and Racich(medical marijuana? Have you read the majority opinions in those cases? Who did you agree with?

[Are_grits_groceries]

20. He hasn't asked a question in four years.

If all the Justices followed his lead, points about the cases would slide right by. The Justices expect the people who appear before them to be prepared, and they don't play.

They want to know why certain points should be considered. I don't know if anybody does change their minds. What they hear may not change their minds, but it may give them something too chew on before they vote.

Thomas is the one who has made up his mind and may be projecting that on to everybody else. His votes can give me agita most of the time. He was the lone dissenter in the ruling that a school had gone too far in strip-searching a student.

If he wanders into a ruling I agree with, they are few and far between.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. The content of the parties' arguments has already been presented in their briefs.

The whole purpose of oral argument is to give the justices a chance to ask questions. Otherwise it would be nothing but a rehash of what was already written in the briefs. They could dispense with the oral arguments altogether if they didn't think there was a need to ask any questions.

[saltpoint]

22. Thanks ever so much for weighing in, Clarence.

Soft drinks, anyone?

[mitchum]

23. "Stop making me incompetent!"

[HamdenRice]

26. For the first time in my life I agree with Justice Thomas

The entire case is in the briefs. Why Justices feel the need to torture lawyers while they try to make a coherent argument is beyond me.

I can see a question or two on things that are not addressed in the briefs, but the current system of oral argument is definitely really, really stupid.

[dragonlady]

31. Briefs are carefully crafted to present the client's position

Each party writes its brief in a particular way to stress the facts and law from its own perspective. Theoretically, reading both sides would give the justices a complete view of the case. But that doesn't really happen. Some matters fall somewhere in between, or there are other perspectives to be considered. Oral argument, especially at this highest level of our jurisprudence, is very necessary.

[struggle4progress]

27. I hoped Thomas was rebuking Robert for babbling about the VA drunk driving case, but

no such luck

[MilesColtrane]

28. Wrong Dong Silver strikes again.

[leanderj]

29. It's a miracle: Clarence Thomas SPEAKS!

And look at the garbage he's saying...

[Festivito]

30. I suppose it's just a play to entertain him. What a dufuss. /nt

[n2doc]

32. He's afraid he might inhale a pubic hair if he opens his mouth n/t

[mkultra]

33. well, There is some truth to what he is saying

Often, you can just listen and gleen all the information you may need to understand a point. Especially if the other justices asking a lot of questions.

[Unvanguard]

34. They have them for show. I don't like Thomas, but he's probably right on this one. n/t

[jasi2006]

35. Thomas is a true idiot. Pay him no attention. nt

[naaman fletcher]

37. Although he takes it too far,

he does have a point that some of the other justices use oral argument as an opportunity to grandstand.

I will say one other positive thing about Thomas: He is not the hypocrite that Scalia is. Together the two of them have, or had, been fighting back to rollback federal powers under the interstate commerce clause. Then the medical marijuana case came up a few years ago. Thomas stuck by his guns and voted against the Feds. Scalia turned his back on everything else he had previously done and sided with the Feds.

[TexasObserver]

39. Long Dong Silver rides to the rescue.

Next up, lap dances by Oily Taint.

[PurityOfEssence]

40. It's so loud I can't hear myself not think

Pouting Thomas strikes again.

Clarence the gawking tool.