There are dozens of journalists in the Supreme Court's courtroom, but not a single laptop or cell phone.
Unlike the campaign events I usually cover, electronic devices are not allowed inside the Supreme Court. Just a pen and paper.
You can hear even the tiniest sounds, like someone jingling keys. As I discovered, you can also hear what sounds like paper shuffling when the case preview brochure slides to the floor.
The press area is to the left of the benches and a good view is not guaranteed. Columns F and G are partially screened by large marble columns covered with red curtains with gold decoration. The space between the pillars is open and, depending on your vantage point, you can see parts of the courtroom.
From where I was sitting in the G-1 seat, the justices were almost perpendicular to my view of Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh.
Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Elena Kagan, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, on the other hand, were a little harder to see. Sitting taller in your seat or just moving your head slightly to the left helped you determine who had the floor and their recognizable voice.
You can't change seats, move around in your seat, or lean over to get a better look, but I learned that quickly.
The fact that I had moved my chair more than an inch went unnoticed by the staff monitoring the press and I was immediately asked to put it back.
Members of the press may leave the courtroom during arguments, but once they leave, they cannot return. But several reporters left before the lawsuit was filed, at least one left after Trump lawyer Jonathan Mitchell was at the podium, and more left after Jason Murray's turn. .
Silence is required in the high court, but there were some scenes where judges made humorous comments that drew laughter. One example of this was the exchange between Mitchell and Kagan.
Mitchell acknowledged one of his points. Professors Bode and Paulsen criticized the Griffin case very sharply…”
As people laughed, Kagan kindly interrupted, “Then I must be right.”
Another moment of laughter occurred around a particular order of questions. When Mr. Jackson pivoted to another point in the board-office discussion, Mr. Kagan interjected. Do you have the opportunity to work as an executive, or should you? ”
“Absolutely. Of course,” Roberts said, breaking the confusion as people laughed.
