Yesterday, we assessed how often each Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court asked the first question in each segment of the argument. Today, we address the year-by-year data.
Table 67 is the yearly data for 2008. Then-Chief Justice Fitzgerald is the second most frequent first questioner behind Justice Thomas. The third most frequent first questioner is Justice Freeman, followed by Chief Justice Garman. Chief Justice Fitzgerald is also second behind Justice Thomas for first questions to appellees. Justice Freeman and Chief Justice Garman are third and fourth, with Justices Kilbride, Karmeier and Burke behind.
In 2009, Chief Justice Fitzgerald was the most frequent first questioner of appellants. Justice Thomas was second, followed, in order, by Justice Freeman, Chief Justice Garman and Justices Karmeier and Kilbride. Justice Thomas was the most frequent first questioner of appellees, followed by Chief Justice Fitzgerald. Chief Justice Garman was the third most frequent first questioner of appellees, followed by Justices Karmeier and Freeman. Justice Thomas was first on rebuttals, followed by Chief Justice Fitzgerald, Chief Justice Garman, Justices Kilbride and Karmeier.
In 2010, Justice Thomas narrowly led Chief Justice Fitzgerald with respect to appellants, followed by Justice Freeman, Chief Justice Garman and Justice Burke. Among appellees, Justice Thomas was the most frequent first questioner by a wide margin. Chief Justice Garman was second. Justices Freeman, Burke, Kilbride, Fitzgerald and Karmeier were close behind Chief Justice Garman.
Among rebuttal arguments, Justice Thomas was once again the most frequent first questioner. Justice Burke was second, with Justice Freeman, Chief Justice Fitzgerald and Chief Justice Garman right behind.
Next week, we’ll turn to the year-by-year data for the final four years of our study period, 2011-2014.
Image courtesy of Flickr by Sam Howzit (no changes).