Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has set a record by not speaking in oral arguments in the Court for the past five years of his term. Thomas, who frequently can be seen reclining in his oddly- flexible chair, has refrained from questioning attorneys and participating in back-and-forth communication during hearings.
Thomas, 62, has been on the court since 1991 and since that time has cultivated a personality as a reserved yet articulate legal mind that aptly compliments his colleagues, like the rambunctious Justice Antonin Scalia. Justices Sonya Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer, as well as Chief Justice John G. Roberts are usually the more vocal members of the bench. However, Thomas is very much a presence in the written arguments.
According to CNN, Thomas has suggested that the reason for his quiet demeanor in the courtroom is the fact that he has made his decision before the lawyers have finished presenting their cases.
The last time Thomas spoke during oral arguments was February 22nd, 2006 during the case of Holmes v. South Carolina (04-1327) which was eventually decidedly unanimously in favor of death row inmate Bobby Lee Holmes.
Thomas has in the past detailed the adversity he experienced growing up in Georgia. This struggle resurfaced for him when he spoke in 2002 about an appeal against a Virginia law banning cross-burning.
Thomas is a respecte member of the bench and has not said whether or not he intends to break his record anytime soon.
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