Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/19-309_4f15.pdf
Page Number: 9

Cite as:  592 U. S. ____ (2020) 

7 

Opinion of the Court 

656, 666 (1993).  We have examined the summary judgment
record  to  determine  whether  Adams  made  this  showing.
And, as we have said, we conclude that he has not. 

The  only  evidence  supporting  Adams  is  two  statements 
he made in his deposition and in his answer to interrogato-
ries that he wants to be, and would apply to be, a judge on
any of Delaware’s five courts.  He said: 

“I would apply for any judicial position that I thought I
was qualified for, and I believe I’m qualified for any po-
sition that would come up . . . [o]n any of the courts.  I 
would feel less comfortable on Chancery than any other 
court.  I would feel most comfortable on Superior Court, 
Family Court, Court of Common Pleas, state Supreme
Court based on my background, experience, and what I 
have done in my career.”  App. 34. 

He added in his answer to interrogatories: 

“Adams . . . would seriously consider and apply for any 
judicial position for which he feels he is qualified. . . . 
Adams believes that he meets the minimum qualifica-
tions to apply for any judicial officer position.”  Id., at 
62–63. 

Those  statements,  however,  must  be  considered  in  the 
context of the record, which contains evidence showing that, 
at the time he brought this lawsuit, Adams was not “able 
and ready” to apply.

First,  the  record  showed  that,  between  2012  and  2016, 
during  which  time  Adams  was  a  practicing  lawyer  and  a 
registered Democrat, Delaware’s five courts had a combined
total  of  14  openings  for  which  Adams,  then  a  Democrat,
would have been eligible.  Id., at 51–56, 144–164.  Yet he 
did not apply for any of them.  When deposed during discov-
ery, Adams said that in 2014 he had wanted to apply for a 
Supreme Court or Superior Court judgeship.  Id., at 35, 43– 
46,  62.  Adams  said  that  he  could  not  do  so  because  only