Clarence Thomas Keeps 5-Year Supreme Court Silence - NYTimes.com:
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| Clarence Thomas, tight-lipped. |
A week from Tuesday, when the Supreme Court returns from its midwinter break and hears arguments in two criminal cases, it will have been five years since Justice Clarence Thomas has spoken during a court argument.
If he is true to form, Justice Thomas will spend the arguments as he always does: leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, rubbing his eyes, whispering to Justice Stephen G. Breyer, consulting papers and looking a little irritated and a little bored. He will ask no questions.
His reasons range from being ashamed of his
accent (?!), to simple courtesy. There remains the possibility he is rigidly incurious, has already made up his mind, and is reluctant to say anything on the record that will expose his shallow ideological mindset. But, no, it's probably that he just doesn't want to be rude.
