Justice Clarence Thomas completed his thought Wednesday, says the Washington Post. Thomas made headlines when he spoke during Supreme Court oral arguments for the first time in nearly seven years. But his remarks were truncated. “Well — he did not — ” was all the court reporter could make out before Thomas's words were lost among the voices and laughter of other justices during the Jan. 14 arguments in Boyer v. Louisiana.
But the court released a new transcript Wednesday that contains the complete sentence: “Well, there — see, he did not provide good counsel.” Thomas was tossing a lighthearted barb during a discussion about the qualifications of some of the attorneys representing murder suspect Jonathan Boyer. One had attended Yale and one had attended Harvard. Thomas is a Yale Law grad who has been a frequent critic of his alma mater. Thomas is frequently asked during appearances and speeches about his decision not to ask questions during oral arguments. Most recently, he has said his colleagues ask too many questions and disrupt the lawyers' presentations.