Supreme Court Justice Thomas Speaks in Tyler

TYLER (AP/STAFF) — The U.S. Supreme Court justice best known for his silence on the bench will speak to an audience in Tyler tonight. Justice Clarence Thomas is scheduled to appear this evening at the University of Texas at Tyler. The program gets under way at 7:30. The 66-year-old Thomas has served on the bench since 1991. It’s been more than eight years since he asked a question in the courtroom during arguments in the case, a silence that stands out since the eight other justices actively question lawyers about their cases. Thomas is one of the court’s conservatives and has been part of narrow majorities on several key issues in recent years.