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A memorable afternoon with Justice Scalia

By Ken Foskett
Feb 15, 2016

Justice Scalia will see you now, the secretary said.

Justice Antonin Scalia, who died Saturday, sat for an interview with AJC editor Ken Foskett.

Credit: Ken Foskett

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Credit: Ken Foskett

ExploreI entered Scalia's Supreme Court chamber nervously and stretched out my hand to the small man coming round his desk to greet me.

I was there to interview Scalia for my biography of Justice Clarence Thomas, but I will always remember the encounter for what I learned about the court's most loquacious justice, who died Saturday at the age of 79.

The man I spent an hour with was nothing like the bully who struck fear into the hearts of lawyers that appeared before him in oral arguments. Indeed, one-on-one with me, he was downright meek.

ExploreRead about my memorable afternoon with Justice Scalia here.

About the Author

Ken Foskett has been an AJC reporter and editor since 1989 and is Senior Editor/Investigations, leading a team of investigative and data journalists who watchdog state and local government. Additionally, Foskett manages the AJC's year-round internship program for collegiate journalists.

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