A Justice’s Fall and Streaming High Court Video Discussed at Budget Hearing
The hearing before a House appropriations subcommittee yesterday was supposed to be about the budget for the U.S. Supreme Court, but it veered off topic with talk of cameras in the court and a justice’s fall.
The meeting began with “blandishments and collegiality,” Legal Times reports, until a Texas congressman jumped into a discussion about a request for an extra $800,000 for the Supreme Court’s website. The two justices fielding lawmakers’ questions were Clarence Thomas and Stephen G. Breyer.
Remarking on the court’s occasional release of audiotapes, U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, said there was no “no logical distinction” between the audio releases and streaming video on the court’s website. To prove his point, Culberson pulled out his Nokia N Series smartphone, pointed it at the justices, and announced that he was sending live video of the hearing to his website, the Associated Press reports.
”I’d encourage you to break down that wall. It’s as easy as me pushing this button,” Culberson said. ”Broadcast those oral arguments.”
Thomas said there is some disagreement on the court about televising oral arguments. ”There are strong views on the poles and there are significant views in the middle,” he said.
Thomas also revealed the reason why he missed oral arguments in 2006 on the constitutionality of a ban on an abortion procedure, AP reports. The reason was a fall the night before.
”I had the wonderful opportunity to fall on my face one night and was not able to make oral argument the following day as a result of it.” Thomas said oral argument transcripts on the court’s website helped him stay up to speed on the case.
