Virus Prompts Unusual First for Supreme Court

Arguments in May will be heard by phone conference
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 13, 2020 10:50 AM CDT
Supreme Court to Hear Arguments by Telephone
In this March 16, 2020, photo, people walk outside the Supreme Court in Washington.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Lawyers dreaming of arguing before the Supreme Court surely never pictured it quite like this: Next month, justices will hear arguments by telephone, reports CNBC. The court announced the first-of-its-kind move Monday as a coronavirus safety measure, saying that 10 cases will be heard by "telephone conference." There will be no video component, a court spokeswoman confirms to CNN. The media will be allowed to listen in via a live audio feed, though there's no word on whether the feed will be available to the public as well, per Axios. Of note: Three of the May cases involve President Trump's efforts to keep prosecutors and congressional panels from getting a look at his financial records. The dates haven't yet been set. (More US Supreme Court stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X