Phoning it in: Pandemic forces Supreme Court to hear cases in a new way
SUPREME COURT MAY 3, 2020 / 6:09 AM / UPDATED 6 HOURS AGO
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court are typically a formal affair, dictated by adherence to tradition by an institution historically resistant to altering its ways. Come Monday, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, all that changes.
In a first, the nine justices are set to participate in arguments in 10 cases - each scheduled for an hour - this week and next week conducted remotely by teleconference rather than in-person to combat the spread of the pathogen. In another break with tradition, the court will provide a live audio feed of the arguments to the news media.
The changes reflect the new reality of working from home during the pandemic. The new format means than many formalities will be set aside. Some of the lawyers who will argue the cases have said they plan on wearing comfortable clothing - jeans and T-shirts - and will address the justices from kitchens and spare bedrooms, not from behind a lectern in the courtroom.
The cases include one of the biggest disputes of the court’s current term - whether President Donald Trump, arguing for expansive presidential powers, can keep his financial records including tax returns secret. Three cases will be argued on the subject on May 12, two involving congressional subpoenas to third parties for his records and one involving a subpoena by a local prosecutor in New York City in a criminal investigation into Trump and his family real estate business.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-arguments/phoning-it-in-pandemic-forces-supreme-court-to-hear-cases-in-a-new-way-idUSKBN22F0DP?il=0
So is sekulow going to be in skivvies and t-shirt and have on a mask, after all he will be spewing virus droplets by way of the computer.........