The Supreme Court is getting ready to hear arguments by telephone in a case about a worldwide virus, but it’s not what you think
May 5, 2020, 12:15 PM
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Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleWASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is hearing a second day of arguments by telephone with the audio available live to audiences around the world. You can listen live here starting at 10 a.m. Eastern.
Monday was the justices' first foray into the setup they settled on because of the coronavirus pandemic. After hearing Tuesday's case, the justices will have four scheduled days of argument and eight cases remaining.
The highest-profile cases are scheduled for next week. That's when the justices will hear cases including President Donald Trump’s bid to keep certain financial records private.
Here are some observations, trivia and analysis from our Supreme Court reporters (all times local):
8:15 a.m.
The Supreme Court is getting ready to hear arguments by telephone in a case about a worldwide virus, but it’s not what you think.
The reason the justices aren’t in their marble-columned courtroom, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic. But on the justices’ minds Tuesday is the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The case before them is a free speech case that has to do with whether certain organizations combating HIV/AIDS abroad have to denounce prostitution to get U.S. taxpayer money.
The justices have dealt with this case before. In 2013 they ruled that the government cannot force U.S.-based private health organizations to denounce prostitution as a condition of getting money. The question this time around is whether foreign organizations that work with the U.S.-based ones can be required to do so to get funds.
The court held its first day of arguments over the telephone on Monday, with audio available live for the first time. That case was about whether the travel website Booking.com can trademark its name.
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8 a.m.
The Supreme Court's first day of arguments over the telephone with audio available live for the first time went off largely without a hitch.
On Tuesday, the justices will try to do it again with a second case.
Monday's glitches were minor. Justice Stephen Breyer’s line was briefly garbled. And when it was Justice Sonia Sotomayor's turn to ask a question, there was a long pause and Chief Justice John Roberts said her name a second time before her voice was heard. She said, “I’m sorry, chief,” before beginning her questioning.
One mild surprise came early in the arguments when Roberts passed the questioning to Justice Clarence Thomas, who once went 10 years between questions and has said he thinks his colleagues pepper lawyers with too many. But in this format, Thomas spoke up, asking questions of both lawyers in the case.
Monday's case was about whether the travel website Booking.com can trademark its name. Tuesday’s case is about free speech and whether certain organizations combating HIV/AIDS abroad have to denounce prostitution to get U.S. taxpayer money.
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Follow AP’s Supreme Court Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/AP—Courtside. And Supreme Court reporters Mark Sherman at https://twitter.com/shermancourt and Jessica Gresko at https://twitter.com/jessicagresko.
