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Video presentation of
oral arguments before the Supreme Court have been proposed, and have been
rejected by the Court. It is easy to see
why, the Justices often engage in questions and conversations which would be embarrassing
to them. And then there is Justice
Thomas who just sits there.
Now several newer
members of the Court, Justices who were previously in favor of televising
the oral arguments have
changed their minds.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, populist, revealed a paternalistic
streak this month, announcing that she had rethought her enthusiasm for video
coverage of Supreme Court arguments.
The reason the Justice changed is quite revealing,
“I
don’t think most viewers take the time to actually delve into either the briefs
or the legal arguments to appreciate what the court is doing,” she said. “They
speculate about, oh, the judge favors this point rather than that point. Very
few of them understand what the process is, which is to play devil’s advocate.”
And another Justice joins her.
The
court’s newest member, Justice Elena Kagan, has also done an about-face. At her
confirmation hearings in 2010, she said video coverage “would be a great
thing for the institution, and more important, I think it would be a great
thing for the American people.” Two years later, she said she now had
“a few worries, including that people might play to the camera” and that the
footage could be misused.
Now arrogance is an intangible item, but one can
almost see and touch and feel the arrogance that is dripping from the mouths of
these Justices and the other members of the Court who feel Americans are just
to dumb, just too stupid and just to ignorant to understand what the great and
mighty Supreme Court does.
Here’s a hint Justices, it’s called Democracy. Really, think about it. The American people understand it, why don’t
you?
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