The U.S. Supreme Court justice best known for his silence on the bench stood before an East Texas audience to entertain questions.
Justice Clarence Thomas appeared Tuesday night at the University of Texas at Tyler for a question-and-answer session.
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.
On Tuesday, he expressed firm belief in the strict construction of the Constitution. As a judge, he says he's "not into creative writing." And he said he's motivated by the belief that if the country "is not perfect, it is perfectible."
Thomas is one of the court's conservatives and has been part of narrow majorities on several key issues in recent years.
