The WSJ has a fascinating story about Justice Stevens’ investigations into the true authorship of the works of William Shakespeare, which includes this intriguing chart:
Shakespeare’s Court
The Supreme Court on the likely author of Shakespeare’s plays:
Active Justices
Roberts, Chief Justice
No comment.
Stevens
Oxford
Scalia
Oxford
Kennedy
Stratford
Souter
"No idea."
Thomas
No comment.
Ginsburg
"No informed views."*
Breyer
Stratford
Alito
No comment.
*Justice Ginsburg suggests research into alternate candidate, Florio.
Retired Justices
O’Connor
Not Stratford
Blackmun*
Oxford
Brennan*
Stratford
*Deceased
Tell the truth: that’s not what you expected.
It transcends ideology; Scalia, O’Connor, and Ginsburg all have differing views, none of them being William Shakespeare himself, which is the academic consensus.
Next time someone — including yourself — gives all the reasons they "know" how a judge will rule, keep in mind that all that glisters is not gold.