critics. jes jessica schneider has more. the start of the new term is monday, but the justices have been unusually outspoken. five of the nine justices have made public appearances in recent weeks, speaking out about the divisions that have been deepening behind the scenes. i think the court was thought to be the least dangerous branch and we may have become the most dangerous. the danger in his mind is that the media and the public portray the court as political. thomas is the senior most jus tuss on the court. he spoke to students insisting he s driven by the law, not his own opinion. they think you re antiabortion or something, personally they think that s the way you ll always come out. they think you become like a politician. and i think that s a problem. the supreme court ignited a fire storm last month when it allowed a restrictive texas abortion law, essentially