United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor gave a speech on Thursday at an American Constitution Society event where he lauded Justice Clarence Thomas' love for the judiciary's personnel.
The National Review highlighted that it was good to hear Justice Sotomayor speaking positively on Justice Thomas amidst all the negative news circulating on the Supreme Court the past weeks. While Fox News noted how Sotomayor showered praises on her coworker who she regarded as a friend.
"I suspect I have probably disagreed with him more than with any other justice, that we have not joined each other's opinions more than anybody else. And yet, Justice Thomas is the one justice in the building that literally knows every employee's name--every one of them. He is a man who cares deeply about the court as an institution, about the people who work there," Sotomayor said.
Justice Sotomayor On Her Compassionate Friend
Christianity Daily previously reported that the Supreme Court's justices are equally divided into three groups: liberals, conservatives, and centered. Thomas is on the conservative side and Sotomayor is on the liberal side.
Sotomayor shared that she differs from Thomas in the vision she has on how to help people and on the responsibilities they have to help themselves. But the extreme ends of their opinions, Sotomayor stressed, did not become a hindrance for friendship to blossom with them for they can find a common ground. Thomas' compassionate nature to everyone he deals with made it easy for her to become friends with him, she said.
"I think we share a common understanding about people and kindness toward them. That's why I can be friends with him and still continue our daily battle over our difference of opinions in cases," Sotomayor added.
Also Read: Justice Clarence Thomas Reveals How Supreme Court Changed Following Draft Leak
The media outlet pointed out that Sotomayor's praises come in the face of Thomas' wife, Ginni, being under investigation by the United States House of Representatives January 6 Committee regarding communication she had on the 2020 elections.
Justice Clarence Thomas Remarks' On the Supreme Court Leak
While Faithwire added that this is in response to Thomas commenting on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case draft opinion being leaked to the public in early May by Politico. Thomas revealed two weeks after the draft leak that a lot has changed in the Supreme Court since then.
Thomas said the credibility of the court has been broken forever along with the people's trust in the institution. He pointed out that the loss of trust in an institution will fundamentally change the institution, which is "tremendously bad." He lamented that once the judiciary system has been destabilized, the prospects do not look good for the country, too.
Last March, the Democrats wanted Thomas to resign over text messages Ginni sent to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on overturning the results of the 2020 elections. The text messages were gathered by the House Select Committee in line with their investigation of the January 6 US Capitol riot. Critics condemned the call for the judge's resignation as the Democrat's move to ensure greater influence in the Supreme Court, which is currently mostly conservative.
But the increased threats on the lives of the Supreme Court justices and their families has convicted the Democrats to pass with the Republicans in the United States House of Representatives the "Supreme Court Police Parity Act of 2022" four days ago.
The bill extended security protection to the families of justices that the Court's Marshal deems necessary. The bill was approved in the Senate a month ago and is now pending the signature of President Joe Biden. This is in addition to a bill pushed by Republicans to criminalize Supreme Court leaks and hold those who do so legally accountable.
Related Article: Democrats Want Constitutionalist Justice Clarence Thomas To Resign Over Wife's Texts Urging Election Integrity
