Legal News

Supreme Court Justices Reveal Their Secret Fast-Food Preferences

By Jess Bravin

A new book, Little Billy’s Letters, reveals the little-suspected connection between the Marble Palace and the Golden Arches.

Starting in the early 1990s, prankster Bill Geerhart posed as a 10-year-old boy to ask ridiculous questions of famous persons, including missives asking each of the justices about their fast food tastes.

"Dear Chief Justice Renquist [sic]," read a Dec. 19, 1994, letter. "This is a project for school. What is your favorite McDonalds food? I like the ¼ Pounder with cheese. I would also like a picture of you."

The chief justice's assistant sent the requested photo, but no response to the culinary inquiry. But Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's assistant revealed that "her favorite food at McDonalds is a Big Mac."

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's secretary said that the justice "asked me to tell you she loves Chinese, Italian, and French cooking, but hasn't been to McDonald's since her son was 10. (He is now 29.)"

Justice Clarence Thomas offered Billy "best wishes for a successful school year," and, in a handwritten postscript, confessed "I like the Egg McMuffin. Actually, I like almost everything there."

Perhaps because he had retired from active service, Justice Harry Blackmun had time to reflect on the query.

"Almost anything they put out is acceptable. I like to go to Roy Rogers, too, for a beef sandwich," he wrote. But Blackmun, who once had been general counsel for the Mayo Clinic, made a pitch for good nutrition. "I hope most of all that you eat something more than what these fast food places put out," he added. "A hamburger and fries or potato chips are all right in their place, but you need some fruits and vegetables, too. I suspect your mom would tell you so."

Justice David Souter, known for lunching each day on apples and yogurt, sent a picture to "Master Billy Geerhart,” but added that "I'm afraid I can't tell you very much about McDonald's food."

Geerhart moved on to other targets in later years, so scholars will have to wait to learn which quick-service delicacies command a majority on the Roberts Court.

He did, however, query a famous member of a state judiciary. Judge Lance Ito of Los Angeles Superior Court, who presided over O.J. Simpson's murder acquittal, likes the Sausage McMuffin with Egg, Geerhart says.

Unfortunately, that note, from Ito's clerk, didn't make it into the published version of "Little Billy's Letters."

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on March 11, 2010 (boomark / email).