Federal Judiciary

No audio on student rights argument

By Akin Gump Supreme Court Practice Group

The Supreme Court will complete the current Term without having released any of its oral argument audiotapes for immediate broadcast on radio and television.  The cable network, C-SPAN, reported Monday that Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., had turned down a request to provide same-day release of the audiotapes of the argument set for 10 a.m. Monday in a students’ rights case, Christian Legal Society v. Newton (08-1371).  C-SPAN said that this was the seventh such request this Term; all were denied.

The Court did permit same-day release of its hearing last Sept. 9 in the major campaign finance case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, but that was a case technically placed in the prior Term.   C-SPAN released this table showing requests and denials of audiotape release back to the cases argued in December 2000 on the presidential election dispute.  (The Court does not permit videotaping of any of its arguments.)

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on April 14, 2010 (boomark / email).