Justice Thomas says SCOTUS ‘can’t be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want’

"It bodes ill for a free society," he commented, further mentioning that the judicial system in a functioning democracy "can’t be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want."

According to The Hill, "While he did not directly refer to the leak of the draft opinion striking down Roe v. Wade, ... he referred to the 'unfortunate events' of this week."

"We are becoming addicted to wanting particular outcomes, not living with the outcomes we don’t like," Justice Thomas continued.

Thomas noted that he was particularly worried about the "different attitude of the young," who may not give government institutions the same respect as older generations.

Despite his refusal to talk on Friday in specific terms, Thomas has publicly voiced his criticism of the 1973 Roe v Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide at the time.

It appears that Justice Thomas doesn't want to make the issue just about Roe v Wade, however. In general, the conservative justice has said that previous decisions by his and other judicial bodies should always be up for scrutiny: "We use stare decisis [legal precedent] as a mantra when we don’t want to think," he mentioned.

Thomas' comments came just before protestors descended upon the homes of fellow Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts in Maryland