Supreme Court Begins First Day Of Historic Hearings

The coronavirus pandemic has led to historic changes to the Supreme Court as the justices reconvene this week. 

 With six justices over the age of 65, the coronavirus has prompted the high court to hear arguments via teleconference for the first time — and allow the public to listen in live. The audio is available at cspan.org.

The drastic times represent a drastic shift in policy for the court — as it has frequently opposed broadcasting its hearings live. 

The 10 cases the justices will hear over six days include whether President Trump can reject subpoenas for his tax returns, as well as arguments clarifying electoral college voting.

The first case on the docket is whether Booking.com can trademark their name, as the Justice Department sees this as too common of a word. 

Each attorney will be given two minutes to state their case before the justices have the opportunity to ask questions — starting with Chief Justice John Roberts and then followed by each justice in order of seniority, from Clarence Thomas to Brett Kavanaugh.

It is uncertain whether these historic firsts by the court will continue past the pandemic.