Supreme Court Will Allow Public At Arguments, Continue Live Audio

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The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that the public will be allowed back into the courtroom when the new term begins Monday, for the first time since it imposed pandemic-related restrictions in March 2020.

Since then, the court has heard arguments via teleconference and in-person in front of only court personnel and credentialed journalists. The justices allowed live audio streaming of the arguments and said that will continue even though the sessions will be held in public.

“Seating for the oral argument sessions will be provided to the public, members of the Supreme Court bar, and press, and Courtroom bar admissions will resume,” the court said in a news release. “Masking in the Courtroom for oral arguments will be optional.”

In addition, “a link to the live audio feed will be available on the homepage of the Court’s website,” supremecourt.gov. “The oral argument audio and a transcript of the oral arguments will be posted . . . following oral argument each day. The building will otherwise be closed to the public until further notice.”

There has been controversy for years over the court’s decision not to allow cameras in the courtroom, as state supreme courts across the country do. There was also resistance to the live audio feed from some justices.

But it has proved popular, and several justices have said publicly they saw no need to curtail it once the public was allowed to return.

The court is behind other Washington governmental institutions in returning to normal. And last spring, after the leak of a draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade’s constitutional right to abortion, a high black fence was erected around the marble building to deter protesters. It was removed during the summer.

In remarks last month, Chief Justice John Roberts said it was “gut-wrenching” to see the court fenced off. The court suspended its policy of delivering opinions from the bench and instead simply posted them on its website.

Still, the opening of the term might be chaotic. Protests over the court’s abortion decision have continued, including in front of the homes of some of the justices in the majority. A California man was arrested and accused of threatening the life of Justice Brett Kavanaugh and his family.

And even with the court open, it was not easy for members of the public to see an oral argument. Lines usually form hours before the court’s arguments. And for special cases, people will camp out on the sidewalk in front of the building for days.

(c) 2022, The Washington Post · Robert Barnes 


1 COMMENT

  1. The only one still around from these judges is Clarence Thomas. The rest have b”H been dealt with.

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