WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court has begun a momentous new term, back in the courtroom after a nearly 19-month absence because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Abortion, guns and religion all are on the agenda for a court with a rightward tilt, including three justices appointed by former President Donald Trump.
Eight of the nine justices took the bench at 10 a.m. EDT Monday for the first arguments of the new term. Justice Brett Kavanaugh is participating remotely from his home after testing positive for COVID-19 late last week. Kavanaugh, who was vaccinated in January, is showing no symptoms, the court said. All the other justices also have been vaccinated.
With a nod to the persistence of the virus, the court remains closed to the public. The court’s hallways, normally bustling on mornings when the court is in session, were eerily quiet. A portrait of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died just over a year ago, hangs in a main corridor, directly across from her friend and colleague who died in 2016, Justice Antonin Scalia. As visitors enter the building from its north side, Ginsburg’s portrait is on the left, Scalia’s on the right – in death as in life.
Only lawyers involved in the cases and reporters who regularly cover the court are on hand, and anyone not arguing has to wear a mask. The court is also requiring negative COVID-19 tests from lawyers and reporters who want to be in the courtroom.