Supreme Court

Who Is The Funniest Justice Of Them All -- This Term?

Which justice makes you laugh?

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Man LaughingHave you ever read the transcript of a Supreme Court oral argument? When a justice makes a biting or witty comment and the gallery reacts, it is noted with [Laughter] in the official transcript. The natural question that follows is: who’s gotten the most laughs this Term?

A Boston University law professor (and acclaimed novelist), Jay Wexler, has made a bit of a cottage industry of tracking that statistic. In the past it hasn’t been much of a competition, as Justice Antonin Scalia tended to run away with it. But as the Daily Caller notes, things just aren’t quite as funny without the late Justice Scalia:

The U.S. Supreme Court post Antonin Scalia is much less amusing.

Though the duty of the high court is certainly not to entertain its observers, The Nine sometimes let fly a sharp witticism or barb at oral argument, soliciting laughter in the courtroom and note of “(laughter)” in the transcript. In this regard, none charmed the Court more than the late Justice Scalia.

Which brings us to the question, who is racking up the laughs this Term? On his Twitter account, Wexler notes his ranking of the justices’ laugh moments after the first sitting this Term:

And since those mid-term standings, there’s been only one laugh Wexler has tracked:

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Which puts Chief Justice John Roberts in the current lead for funniest Justice (this Term).

The Post-Scalia Supreme Court Is Really Not Funny [Daily Caller]

Earlier: Standard Of Review: Satire At The Supreme Court In New Novel ‘Tuttle In The Balance’
A Supreme Court Justice Having A Midlife Crisis? An Interview With Jay Wexler

Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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