Month: October 2011

-By Andrew Kreig

October 19, 2011- On Oct. 18 this week, the nation reached an important symbolic moment for the Clarence Thomas era on the Supreme Court. That was the date 20 years ago for his swearing-in ceremony, portrayed above in a White House photo showing the associate justice and his wife, Virginia, with Associate Justice Byron White administering the oath of office.
But the scene was pure hokum designed by the Bush White House to quiet Thomas critics ASAP after the 52-48 Senate confirmation on Oct. 15 — and to allow his backers to celebrate his lifetime appointment in grand style. In sum, this was stage-craft to fool the public about our most respected branch of government at one of its most solemn transitional landmarks.

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-by Mike Sacks

October 15, 2011- Justice Clarence Thomas was sworn in to the Supreme Court on Oct. 22, 1991, and for the rest of the '90s could be counted on to chime in a few times a year (or every other year) with questions to the parties presenting their cases before him. But by the early 2000s, the questions had slowed to the point that the lawyers appearing before — and other justices sitting on — the late-era Rehnquist Court had little reason to expect to engage with Thomas during oral argument.

The birth of the Roberts Court brought new hope. Three times during the 2005-06 term, Thomas leaned forward and, instead of reaching for a brief per his ordinary routine, he turned on his microphone and made his concerns known. These contributions, although paltry relative to those of his colleagues, constituted an inquisitorial deluge compared to the silence streak Thomas has maintained ever since.

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