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Clarence Thomas Case Study

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Clarence Thomas was born June 23rd, 1948 in Pin Point, Georgia. Clarence became the second African-American justice to serve on the United States Supreme Court. His appointment was one of the most controversial in history. Thomas was sworn in to the Supreme Court on October 23rd, 1991 by Congress. The retirement of Thurgood Marshall led former president George H.W. Bush to nominate a new justice (Bio, 2016). Thomas did not always have aspirations of becoming a Supreme Court Justice. When Thomas was sixteen he earned admittance to St. Vianney seminary to pursue his dream of becoming a Catholic priest ( Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Tech, 2016). Thomas obtained excellent grades but struggled with racially charged bullying. By 1967 …show more content…

Senators should analyze the experience, the qualifications and most importantly how their nomination would affect the balance of the court. In 1991, senators and the public flooded Capitol Hill with telephone calls and telegrams, the Senate voted 52 to 48 in favor of Thomas. Eleven Democrats joined 41 of the 43 Republicans in supporting him (Jr.Apple, 1991). Thomas Clarence did not have much experience nor qualifications as a judge which contributed heavily on his rating by the ABA. The balance of the court is an essential aspect as well. When Thomas filled the vacancy for Marshall the court’s liberal justices were declining which gave the advantage to the conservatives (Dowd, 1991). The court became more balanced with confirmation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993. A senator should not vote solemnly on a nominees’ political views or their qualifications, it should be a compilation of both. In conclusion, despite his obstacles and constant criticism for his lack of questioning in oral arguments, he has built a reputation as being one of the most conservative justices. Clarence Thomas has now severed 24 years as a justice on the United States Supreme Court and shows no signs of retiring ( Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Tech,

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