The audience in the Court as the Chief Justice read the majority position on the Obama Healthcare ruling clearly had a roller coaster ride. It looked like the individual mandate would be ruled unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause. but survived as a tax.
The rest of us are getting the news and analysis in dribbles. It brought home how low-tech the Supreme Court feels:
“With a ban on cameras in the courtroom and a prohibition against cell phone use in the room where opinions are handed out, journalists will be scrambling to relay the verdict in a timely fashion—and that's before they get a chance to parse what the ruling really says. Cameras in the courtroom could disrupt the court's proceedings or even change the behavior of Justices and lawyers alike, some critics point out.
Lyle Denniston, the veteran court reporter from SCOTUSblog, will be the person that many will turn to for the first analysis of the decision. The 81-year-old has become somewhat of a courthouse celebrity in the days leading up to this history-making opinion. But before he can even dial up his colleagues with the news, he'll have to dash to his desk in the press room, he tells Yahoo News. Once he gets in touch with them, they will in turn pass his reporting along to the outside world.
Sure, the oral arguments aren't available immediately, but written opinions go up online right away and a recording of the court proceedings will arrive within a few days. Still, the ban on news flowing straight from the courtroom to the people gives an old school feel to the reporting, heightening the drama.”
One thing I really admire about this old-school is how secure the Court is, especially in a leaky city like Washington.
Comments