Clarence Thomas: 2nd Longest Serving Justice

0:00On May 3rd, Clarence Thomas is hitting a huge milestone this week on the Supreme Court, becoming the second longest-serving justice in U.S. history. The 77-year-old has been on the bench since October 1991, when President George H.W. Bush appointed him at age 43 to replace Thurgood Marshall, the court's first black member. Earlier this week on Monday, Thomas passed Justice Stephen J. Fields tenure from 1863 to 1897 for 3rd place. Then on Thursday, he overtook his late colleague John Paul Stevens, who served from 1975 to 2010. If he sticks around until May 20th, 2028, he break the all-time record held by William O. Douglas from 1939 to 1975. Thomas has steered the court rightward with his steady conservative push, writing key opinions on gun rights in June 2022, and joining the majority to end nationwide abortion rights from Roe V. Wade. He's back religious freedoms, oppose gay marriage and affirmative action, supported the death penalty

1:04and pushed for stronger presidential powers. While easing campaign finance limits, folks close to him say his persistence has left a deep mark, even from early dissents with former clerks showing fierce loyalty, many now federal. Judges themselves critics call him the most radical conservative in modern times for wanting to scrap old precedents on contraceptives, gay rights, press freedoms, and public defenders, though he hasn't always swayed the full court. Thomas shows no signs of retiring anytime soon, shrugging off talk of leaving even decades from now, and he's gotten more vocal in arguments since the pandemic shifted things online. With his influence locked in on big shifts like guns and college admissions, expect that conservative stamp to keep shaping rulings for years. U.S. News Today, powered by AI bringing you what matters nationwide. I'm Corey with The Story.