http://www.westernjournalism.com/after-scalias-death-justice-clarence-thomas-just-did-something-nobody-expeCourt/

After Scalia’s Death, Justice Clarence Thomas Just Did Something Nobody Expected…

The case is important for gun rights advocates.

Kevin Whitson
February 29, 2016 at 12:57pm

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been known as “the silent one.” That’s because Thomas, for over 10 years, hasn’t asked a question during oral arguments at the high court, but that all changed on Monday.

Because of his silence, Thomas has been criticized often. The New Yorker ran an article titled, “Clarence Thomas’ Disgraceful Silence.” The LA Times responded to the New Yorker’s article with one of their own, “Justice Clarence Thomas’ silence is ‘disgraceful’? Not really.” And The American Prospect chimed in with their own take on Thomas’ silence with an indifferent perspective in an article titled, “Who Cares About Clarence Thomas’s Silence?”

Thomas is silent no more. In the wake of Justice Antonin Scalia’s passing, fellow conservative jurist Thomas broke his 10 year silence and asked multiple questions from the bench during the oral arguments in Stephen Voisine v. the United States, according to The Hill.

The case involves two plaintiffs who were convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes and were subsequently denied their rights to own a firearm, although no one was seriously injured during the commission of the crimes. The case seeks to answer the question, what kind of domestic abuse does one have to be convicted of in order to have their constitutionally protected gun rights taken away?

Thomas asked more than seven questions on Monday during oral arguments in the case, according to Bloomberg reporter Kim Robinson. One to Assistant to the Solicitor General Ilana Eisenstein was, “Can you give me another area where a misdemeanor violation suspends a constitutional right?”

Robinson noted that none of the other justices seemed to be surprised when Thomas broke his decade-long silence.

Stephen Voisine v. the United States is an important case for gun advocates. If the plaintiffs win in court, an unknown number of Americans could have their rights to keep and bear arms restored.

Justice Scalia authored the majority opinion in the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller case in 2008, which recognized Americans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for purposes of self-defense.

Tags: Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court

Silence must be golden...

He was saving it up... Or he is feed up & p@ssed off that Scalia is dead & how it was as handled.

Welcome back

The Quiet Judge!

And George Takei can choke on a biscotti.
Re; "Clarence Thomas is a clown in blackface".


.......
I've always believed Clarence Thomas to be a good addition to the court.