Jost on Justice March 22, 2020
The Supreme Court's 2019 term is in serious jeopardy unless the justices overcome their aversion to technological advances that could allow the Court to hold most oral arguments even as the coronavirus pandemic forces postponement or drastic alteration of the usual public sessions.
The Court bowed to public health necessities last week [March 16] by postponing the March oral argument calendar with its 11 cases scheduled from March 23 through April 1. The postponed cases include President Trump's politically charged effort to block subpoenas for his financial records by a House committee and the New York City district attorney's office.
The nine other cases postponed include, among lesser disputes, Google's effort to block Oracle's high-stakes software copyright infringement lawsuit against the Silicon Valley giant. With the coronavirus pandemic still spreading, the April calendar with nine cases scheduled for courtroom arguments beginning on April 20 could be postponed as well.
The Court's press release announcing the postponement included the stay-tuned suggestion that it would "examine options for rescheduling those cases in due course in light of the developing circumstances." At this writing [March 21], the Court has not acknowledged suggestions from concerned Court watchers that oral arguments can be held with attorneys participating remotely or without a courtroom audience and livestreamed or posted on the Court's website on the same day instead of at the end of the week.
More:
http://www.jostonjustice.com/2020/03/court-must-adapt-to-hear-scheduled-cases.html
