Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, 75, sparked raised eyebrows over his whereabouts when he was absent during oral arguments on Monday, and the Court provided no explanation.

Chief Justice John Roberts addressed Thomas’ lack of presence, according to NBC News’ Lawrence Hurley, saying that Thomas “is not on the bench today” but would “participate fully” in the two cases being argued based on the briefs and transcripts.

“Context that may or may not be helpful: In the recent past, Justice Thomas phoned into oral arguments when he couldn’t attend in person, allowing him to ask questions remotely. He isn’t doing so this time,” wrote Slate reporter Mark Joseph Stern on X, formerly Twitter.

      • andrew
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        92 months ago

        Picking out colors for the granite in his next RV actually.

      • @KnitWit@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        The Democrats have the senate majority so would be able to, but they probably wouldn’t anyways following the precedent of Dems not getting a Justice during an election year.

        • @RunningInRVA@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Joe Biden possibly/hopefully has another term. Obama did not. I think that’s the ”reason” McConnell felt like the next incoming President should choose. I don’t think Biden would give up a chance for a pick ever, but especially not if he has another term he could serve.

  • Rhaedas
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    942 months ago

    If I didn’t call or show up a few times to my job I’d be fired. Different rules.

  • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod
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    722 months ago

    So a Supreme Court justice can work remotely, but federal employees must be in an office.

    • @Madison420@lemmy.world
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      362 months ago

      I think the clock ran out on that to be honest. He’d probably agree to it anyway so long as that pos vacates.

    • @UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      He’s taken the next logical step from “Napping through Oral Arguments” and is now skipping the actual hearings entirely.

      He’ll show up for five minutes to tell his clerks how to write their opinions, then catch the next flight out to a Bohemian Grove. Unless someone smuggles a syphilitic child into the old people Adrenochrome orgy, dude is going to live for another 70 years.

  • @BmeBenji@lemm.ee
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    392 months ago

    I thought it said “Clarence Thomas missing eyebrows” and honestly that would make his face look as soulless as his soul is

    • @UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      32 months ago

      Moscow? Pfff… dude’s chilling in a mega-delux RV in Dallas.

      You don’t need to fly all the way to Moscow for some plutocrat to pad your wallet. This is America! We took comically corrupt judicial appointments straight from its English roots and juiced it up with 19th century capitalism.

  • @IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works
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    262 months ago

    The most annoying part of this is that even if he quits wasting our oxygen, it’s “too close to the election” for the Senate to do their jobs and confirm the replacement.

    • @macarthur_park@lemmy.world
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      492 months ago

      Nah, democrats have a majority in the senate and republicans removed the ability to filibuster Supreme Court confirmations in order to seat Gorsuch. The 60 vote requirement was still in place in 2016 when democrats tried to fill scalia’s seat, and enough democrats were unwilling to change the rules to remove that requirement. Now that it’s gone there shouldn’t be any issue confirming a new justice.

      • @PyroNeurosis
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        502 months ago

        Expecting Democrats to not tie their own hands here is… optimistic.

  • partial_accumen
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    2 months ago

    When reached for comment Chief Justice Roberts relayed the events that occurred that morning leading to Justice Thomas’s unplanned absence. “I called him up and said, dude, you’re on the schedule to work this morning. Where the hell are you? And he said ‘bro, I’m like totally hung over. I was partying with these insurrectionists last night at a rooftop rave rolling my balls off. Babe, can you hand me that water bottle? No, that wasn’t talking you Bob. Can you, like, call Ruth to cover?’ And I’m like ‘Hey asshole, I’m tired of covering your damn shifts. Ruth doesn’t work here anymore, and you know that. Get your ass in here or I’m marking you as ‘unexcused absence’. And he’s like ‘no can do, bro. I’m Audi 5000 today, see ya!’ and then he totally hung up! I swear, I don’t even think he wants this job anymore. I wish he’d fuckin’ quit already.”

    Wow, I never knew such drama exists so high in our third brand government. Is this what the framers intended?

  • @Xtallll
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    222 months ago

    Frantically searching for News reports of tragic motorhome accidents.