Justice Clarence Thomas, Long Silent, Has Turned Talkative
The Supreme Court’s orderly telephone arguments, prompted by the pandemic, have given the public a revealing look at its longest-serving member.
Justice Clarence Thomas has been an active participant in the arguments for every case this term.Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times
May 3, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Justice Clarence Thomas, who once went a decade without asking a question from the Supreme Court bench, is about to complete a term in which he was an active participant in every single argument.
Justice Thomas’s switch from monkish silence to gregarious engagement is a byproduct of the pandemic, during which the court has heard arguments by telephone. The justices now ask questions one at a time, in order of seniority.