POLS 4720 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Motor Vehicle Exception, Originalism
5 May 2018
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There have been numerous Supreme Court cases regarding the private property and some of the
decisions made have been landmark court decisions. The Supreme Court decisions on the case
Collins v. Virginia would soon mark a defining moment in the history of the United States by
making significant additions or changes in the automobile exception regarding private property.
On the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas is notorious for his quiet presence and lack of
questions but is also widely known for his strong conservatism in his decisions and dissents. He
is recognized for his own version of originalism, which puts emphasis on the original
intention of the Constitution and he believes that deviating from the original intent essentially
ruins the democratic ideology on which the U.S was built.1 By evaluating his beliefs and case
rulings, it can be determined that Justice Thomas will vote in favor of Collins in the case
Collins v. Virginia.
Clarence Thomas was born on June 23, 1948, in the small black community of Pin Point,
Georgia. His father left his family when Thomas was merely two years old and Thomas’ mother
struggled to put food on the table for her family of three children. His family eventually ended up
homeless due to a house fire and Thomas was sent to live with his grandparents when he was
only seven. His grandfather taught Thomas to believe and trust in hard work and that a good
education was crucial. At the young age of sixteen, he was admitted into a boarding school
seminary to achieve his dreams of becoming a Catholic priest. Although he struggled with being
bullied because of his skin color, he endured and made it all the way to the Conception Seminary
at the college level. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, he left his dream of
becoming a priest and instead focused on his bachelor’s degree in English Literature
1 Charles, et al. “Understanding Clarence Thomas: The Jurisprudence of Constitutional Restoration.” Law & Liberty,
1 Apr. 2014, www.libertylawsite.org/liberty-forum/understanding-clarence-thomas-the-jurisprudence-of-
constitutional-restoration/. Accessed 6 Apr. 2018
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Document Summary
There have been numerous supreme court cases regarding the private property and some of the decisions made have been landmark court decisions. Collins v. virginia would soon mark a defining moment in the history of the united states by making significant additions or changes in the automobile exception regarding private property. On the supreme court, clarence thomas is notorious for his quiet presence and lack of questions but is also widely known for his strong conservatism in his decisions and dissents. Clarence thomas was born on june 23, 1948, in the small black community of pin point, His father left his family when thomas was merely two years old and thomas" mother struggled to put food on the table for her family of three children. His family eventually ended up homeless due to a house fire and thomas was sent to live with his grandparents when he was only seven.
