U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito joined the other conservative judges in declaring that “gratuities” are not the same as bribes in a ruling released on Wednesday. In the case, Snyder v. United States, the Court decided that state and local bribery laws barring officials from “corruptly” accepting gifts or cash do not govern “gratuities” given as a token of appreciation. As explained in a summary written by the SCOTUS blog, the defendant in the case was convicted by a jury for violating federal laws after he ensured more than $1 million in city contracts were given t…