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Justice Thomas Asks Questions

By Jeralyn, Section Supreme Court
Posted on Tue Mar 01, 2016 at 08:57:00 AM EST
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Justice Clarence Thomas asked questions of a government lawyer during oral arguments yesterday. It was the first time in 10 years he's asked a question. What was the case? A gun rights case.

"Ms. Eisenstein, one question," Thomas said. "This is a misdemeanor violation. It suspends a constitutional right. Can you give me another area where a misdemeanor violation suspends a constitutional right?"

What misdemeanor is that? The federal law that prohibits someone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence in state court from owning a firearm.The case is Voisine v. United States.

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    Justice Thomas Asks Questions | 23 comments (23 topical)

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    Please note that Justice Thomas's questions (5.00 / 4) (#3)
    by Peter G on Tue Mar 01, 2016 at 12:27:12 PM EST
    favor the defendants in the case against the government, and picked up on an issue advanced on their behalf by the Federal Public Defender who represents them. The only amicus brief favoring these defendants was filed by a "gun rights" group (not even by criminal justice groups). The (many) friend-of-the-court briefs filed on the government's side came from anti-domestic-violence groups. Most of the questioning of the lawyers (until the last ten minutes, when Thomas took over) was from the three women justices.  They focuse