But 2015 was an anomaly as the court navigated a surprisingly liberal course. Even if — as I fully expect — the court reverts to form next year, Roberts deserves recognition for keeping the likes of Scalia and Alito from waging open physical combat against their Democratic counterparts. Roberts also deserves recognition for producing the majority opinion in King, once again upholding Obamacare. In addition, Roberts wrote the hotly contested 5-4 majority opinion in Williams-Yulee v. Florida State Bar, which held that Florida’s ban on the personal solicitation of campaign funds by candidates for judgeships does not violate the First Amendment. Justice Kennedy, who authored the infamous Citizens United decision, refused to join Roberts, and instead drafted a dissent that would have invalidated the Florida law. It’s never easy wearing the crown, and for his trials and tribulations, Roberts has endured fierce criticism from every corner, even calls from the far right for his impeachment.

A Silence Is Golden Wall Hanging

Our unanimous selection for this honor — and it’s as automatic as anything in the legal world can be — is Justice Clarence Thomas. It’s been nine years since Thomas asked a question at an oral argument, although he did manage to mutter a brief, barely audible and incompletely transcribed joke during a court session in a Louisiana death-penalty case in 2013. But don’t let the silence fool you. Thomas may seem half-asleep and even disinterested on the bench for refusing to engage in colloquy with the attorneys who appear before the court. However, he’s no dummy when he steps off the dais. To the contrary, he’s both politically savvy and a dogged, uncompromising advocate for reworking the court’s basic approach to constitutional law. The problem is that he wants to undo the New Deal and take the country and the court back to the era of unregulated capitalism circa the early 20th century. Although he’s the panel’s only African-American and was admitted to Yale Law School under its affirmative action program, Thomas is a staunch opponent of affirmative action, likening it to segregation and slavery. Fortunately, he’s had a hard time winning over his colleagues. As a result, he often winds up writing bitter dissents. Last term, he penned a staggering 19 dissents, four more than even the dyspeptic Scalia. With any luck, he will remain an outlier far into the future.

A Genuine Luke Skywalker Lightsaber for Liberal Persistence

Our winner is the Notorious RBG, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Now 82 years young, Ginsburg continues to defy medical science (she’s beaten both colon cancer and pancreatic cancer), and some might say her own best interests, remaining on duty when nearly anyone else in her tiny shoes would have long ago retired to play miniature golf and work the crosswords in Boca or some other sun-drenched enclave. But Ginsburg keeps slogging along, crafting liberal majority opinions whenever she’s in a position to do so. While 2015 was not one of her most prolific seasons, she made her presence felt. Your support matters…

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#affirmative action#affordable care act#alice in wonderland#antonin scalia#black lives matter#clarence thomas#constitution#death penalty#donald trump#eighth amendment#gay marriage#gop#obamacare#oklahoma#prison#prisoners#republicans#ruth bader ginsburg#same-sex marriage#samuel alito#scotus#stephen breyer#supreme court#td-original#usa