• Law
College

Imagine Justice Thomas and Justice Alito both agree on the outcome of a case. Justice Thomas is asked to write the majority opinion. Justice Alito agrees with the majority opinion but differs from the other justices in his legal reasoning. He is MOST likely to:

A. write a plurality opinion.
B. write a concurring opinion.
C. ask the chief justice to reassign the majority opinion-writing to himself.
D. ask his colleagues to take another vote on the case.

Answer :

Final answer:

Justice Alito is most likely to write a concurring opinion, expressing his agreement with the case's outcome while outlining his different legal reasoning. A concurring opinion allows justices to elaborate on their perspectives even when they align with the majority's decision. This ensures that varying viewpoints are recorded in the context of the ruling.


Explanation:

Understanding Concurring Opinions

In this scenario, Justice Alito, while agreeing with the outcome of the case as stated in the majority opinion written by Justice Thomas, has a different legal reasoning. This situation is addressed by the concept of a concurring opinion. A justice may choose to write a concurring opinion when they agree with the result of the case but wish to highlight different legal principles or reasoning.

To clarify:

  1. A concurring opinion allows a justice to express their agreement while also explaining their unique perspective on the matter at hand.
  2. This differs from a plurality opinion, which occurs when there is no majority agreement on the reasoning.
  3. Justice Alito would not ask for the majority opinion-writing assignment nor request a new vote, as he is in agreement with the outcome.

Concurring opinions are valuable because they can provide insights into differing legal thoughts and the rationale behind a justice's vote, which may be influential in future cases.


Learn more about Concurring Opinion here:

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