Clarence Thomas Speaks First In Supreme Court's First In-Person Session Since COVID Began

Clarence Thomas Speaks First In Supreme Court’s First In-Person Session Since COVID Began

The justice remained silent for years before the pandemic, but now he likes to talk -- a lot.

By Staci Zaretsky on October 04, 2021 4:29 pm

Counsel, you seem to complain about Tennessee pumping water from Mississippi, but you admit that Tennessee does not enter across the border into Mississippi, isn’t that correct?

— Justice Clarence Thomas, asking the first question of the Supreme Court’s October 2021 Term in Mississippi v. Tennessee, under the high court’s new hybrid oral argument format. Justice Brett Kavanaugh was the only justice to appear remotely, rather than in person, due to his recent COVID diagnosis.

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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.