A new justice joining the Supreme Court is something of a mixed blessing, it turns out. While Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. called it “an exciting part of life at the Court,” Justice Clarence Thomas noted, “You have to start all over; the chemistry is different,” and Justice Anthony Kennedy added, “It’s stressful for us, because we so admire our colleagues.”
These comments and more will be aired starting Oct. 4 on C-SPAN, part of a weeklong series of programs on the Court that resulted from unusual access to the Court and to the justices for the public affairs cable channel. All the sitting justices except Sonia Sotomayor (she had not been confirmed when the taping was taking place) plus retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor gave interviews for the series. C-SPAN has posted video excerpts here on YouTube. The shows, produced by Mark Farkas, also will offer footage inside the Court building, including rare glimpses of the justices’ robing room, their private dining room, and even some of their chambers. Court officials, historians and journalists are also interviewed.
