Litigation

Kagan Formally Takes Oath for Bench

By Peter Hardin

President Obama and three former Supreme Court justices watched as Justice Elena Kagan was administered the oath of office in a public swearing-in ceremony Friday.

Retired Justice John Paul Stevens, who Justice Kagan succeeded, and retired Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and David H. Souter were among those in attendance for the ceremony, the Washington Post reported.

Although Obama had been critical in person to the court earlier this year over its controversial Citizens United v. FEC ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. told the president in the courtroom, “You’re always welcome here.”(Justices Roberts and Kagan appear in photo above, courtesy of the Associated Press.)

Justice Kagan had taken an oath in private in the summer. The high court’s new term will begin Monday.  For the first time in history, the court will have three women sitting simultaneously on the nine-member bench.

A USA Today article looking at the new term was headlined, “Reshaped Supreme Court charts new era.” The Washington Post zeroed in on one case with an article entitled, “Church’s protests at military funerals a free-speech test for Supreme Court.”

Because Justice Kagan previously served as solicitor general, she has recused herself from participating in more than 20 cases, a NPR report said.

Full post as published by The Gavel on October 01, 2010 (boomark / email).