MUCH, DOCTOR, FOR YOUR TIME. >>> LET’S CROSSOVER TO
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. PETE WILLIAMS HAS SOME BREAKING
NEWS.
NEWS. I UNDERSTAND THE CORONAVIRUS NOW
IMPACTING THE SUPREME COURT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. THE SUPREME COURT WAS TO RESUME
ORAL ARGUMENT NEXT WEEK, BUT NOW
IT’S GOING TO POSTPONE THE
ARGUMENTS.
ARGUMENTS. THE MOST HIGH-PROFILE CASE THAT
WAS TO BE HEARD WAS ONE MARCH
31st, THIS IS THE LONG-RUNNING
BATTLE BY PRESIDENT TRUMP TO TRY
TO SHIELD HIS TAXES AND
FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS FROM
CONGRESS AND A PROSECUTOR IN NEW
YORK.
YORK. NOW THE COURT HAS JUST ANNOUNCED
IT WILL POSTPONE THOSE ARGUMENTS
TO SOME UNCERTAIN FUTURE DATE.
THE JUSTICES WERE SCHEDULED TO
MEET IN A CLOSED-DOOR
CONFERENCE, THEIR REGULAR
CONFERENCE, WHERE THEY MEET AND
DECIDE WHAT CASES TO HEAR AND
LOOK OVER WHAT DECISIONS ARE
READY.
READY. THEY’RE GOING TO DO THAT ON
FRIDAY, BUT THE COURT SAYS SOME
JUSTICES MAY PARTICIPATE
REMOTELY BY TELEPHONE.
THEY’LL GO AHEAD AND PUT OUT
THEIR REGULAR ORDERS LIST THIS
COMING MONDAY, THE LIST OF CASES
THEY WILL HEAR OR NOT HEAR.
IT WILL BE POSTED ON ITS
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE. THEY SAY THE BUILDING WILL
REMAIN OPEN FOR OFFICIAL
BUSINESS AND THAT NO FILING
DEADLINES, NO OTHER DEADLINES
HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
BUT IT SAYS -- THE COURT IS
SAYING IT’S INCREASING THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN WORK
FROM HOME.
FROM HOME. THIS IS THE FIRST CHANGE IN THE
WAY THE SUPREME COURT DOES
BUSINESS IN 102 YEARS.
THE LAST TIME THE SUPREME COURT
PUSHED OFF ORAL ARGUMENT WAS
DURING THE SPANISH FLU EPIDEMIC
OF 1918 WHEN IT WAS SCHEDULED TO
BEGIN IN OCTOBER AND DIDN’T
START IT UNTIL NOVEMBER.
THAT WAS A MONTH.
THE WAY THE COURT WORKS THIS
TIME OF YEAR, THEY HEAR ORAL
ARGUMENTS FOR TWO WEEKS, AND TWO
WEEKS THEY WORK IN CHAMBERS AND
ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
WE’RE COMING ONTO A TWO-WEEK
ORAL ARGUMENT PERIOD.
THEY’VE PUSHED THAT OFF.
WHEN THESE CASES WILL BE
RESCHEDULED, I DON’T KNOW.
THE CALENDAR IS FULL FOR THE
REST OF THE SUPREME COURT TERM.
DOES THAT MEAN THEY’RE GOING TO
START HAVING AFTERNOON SESSIONS
WHEN THEY RESUME FOR THE LAST
ORAL ARGUMENT TERM IN APRIL?
ARE THEY GOING TO GO A LITTLE
LONGER?
LONGER? ARE THEY GOING TO PUSH THESE
CASES OFF UNTIL NEXT TERM?
THAT’S ALL TO BE DECIDED.
BUT NO ORAL ARGUMENT WHEN THE
SUPREME COURT RESUMES BUSINESS
AS IT WAS SCHEDULED TO DO THIS
COMING MONDAY.
COMING MONDAY. >> PETE, I KNOW WE’RE DEALING
WITH THE INFORMATION AS IT COMES
INTO US, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS
YET.
YET. DO YOU KNOW IF DECISIONS WILL
STILL BE ANNOUNCED AS
ANTICIPATED OR AS SCHEDULED FROM
THE SUPREME COURT AND, TWO, DO
WE KNOW HOW THEY CAME TO THIS
DECISION?
DECISION? IS THIS A SINGLE DECISION BY THE
CHIEF JUSTICE, JOHN ROBERTS, OR
IS THIS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE
OTHER JUSTICES?
OTHER JUSTICES? >> IN THEORY, THE CHIEF COULD
MAKE THIS DECISION ON HIS OWN.
BUT I’M SURE THAT HE HAS
CONSULTED WITH HIS COLLEAGUES ON
THE COURT.
THE COURT. THAT’S THE WAY HE NORMALLY DOES
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. AND I’M SURE THAT THE OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE COURT WENT ALONG
WITH THIS.
WITH THIS. FRANKLY, ONE OF THE CONCERNS
ABOUT THE -- LOOK AT THIS
PICTURE.
PICTURE. MOST OF THE SUPREME COURT WITH A
FEW EXCEPTIONS LIKE THE NEWEST
JUSTICES, IS IN THAT PART OF THE
POPULATION WHERE THE CONCERN IS
THE HIGHEST ABOUT POTENTIAL
AFFECT OF THE CORONAVIRUS.
THE IDEA OF TRYING TO SHIELD THE
MEMBERS OF THE COURT FROM THE
PUBLIC AND SOCIAL DISTANCING HAS
BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS A LOT OF
DISCUSSION HERE.
DISCUSSION HERE. >> AND DO WE KNOW, PETE, IF
THEIR DECISIONS WILL STILL GO ON
AS SCHEDULED EVEN IF THEY’RE NOT
TAKING ORAL ARGUMENTS?
>> NO, WE DON’T.
NORMALLY WE DON’T KNOW IF WE’RE
GOING TO GET DECISIONS UNTIL THE
FRIDAY PRECEDING THE COMING
WEEK.
WEEK. NORMALLY WHEN THEY HAVE
DECISIONS, THEY TAKE THE BENCH,
A JUSTICE WHO WROTE THE DECISION
SUMMARIZES THE DECISION, WHETHER
THEY’RE GOING TO DO THAT OR NOT,
I DON’T KNOW.
IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THEY ARE
BECAUSE IT DOESN’T -- NORMALLY
SPEAKING, THERE WOULD BE
ADMISSIONS TO THE SUPREME COURT
BAR ON A DAY WHEN THE COURT