SCOTUS Watch

After RBG's birthday, we now get word that the March sitting will be postponed, to dates unknown. This includes the Trump financials that should have been dealt with already. But, it wasn't unprecedented -- there was the Spanish flu thing a century ago and back a couple times in the 1790s. The upcoming conference also might involve some justices phoning in or something. Did that ever happen?

This follows other legal developments of that nature nation-wide etc. and on some level is sound. But, on another level, why? It seems possible, when so many others are crafting novel approaches including telecommunication of law classes, nine justices and separate presentations of arguments can be handled that way. Judge Sotomayor at least once was involved in a lower court case over a decade ago by live feed. The Supreme Court was proud to mostly do its work over they years, even in a D.C. snowstorm, and something should be able to be arraigned here, huh? Also, if necessary, oral argument can be skipped. It's useful but not essential. Finally, other than the faithless elector cases & maybe the Trump financials (in theory; in fact, probably less so, these cases are not really THAT time sensitive.

For now, at least, even the Texas execution scheduled this week was postponed by court challenge. Criminal justice is of special sensitivity, including jails, which often are already overcrowded. NYC years back felt it advisable to keep me in a little cage for hours with about twenty people for (wrongly) thinking I skipped paying a fare of under $3. There is only so much that can be done here, but there are many low level offenses etc. (elderly inmates, e.g.) that supply some room for discretion.