Each of the thirteen federal circuit courts of appeals is assigned one Supreme Court justice as its circuit justice. That justice is the first point of contact for emergency applications -- stays, injunctions, and other time-sensitive requests -- arising from cases in that circuit. The circuit justice may act alone on an emergency or refer it to the full Court. Justice Clarence Thomas is the circuit justice for the 11th Circuit, which covers Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Assignment is by seniority and rotation, not ideology, though the circuit justice's own views on the underlying legal questions can influence how quickly and favorably applications are handled.