First, context:I’m trying to understand the theory that Justice Sotomayor is deliberately misleading us in order to protect the reputation of someone risking her life. I’m not buying it.
— OutOfContextQuoteHat (@Popehat) January 19, 2022
Sotomayor, Gorsuch issue joint statement on masks in the courtroom. "Reporting that Justice Sotomayor asked Justice Gorsuch to wear a mask surprised us. It is false. While we may sometimes disagree about the law, we are warm colleagues and friends."
— Kimberly Robinson (@KimberlyRobinsn) January 19, 2022
And now a statement from Chief Justice Roberts: “I did not request Justice Gorsuch or any other Justice to wear a mask on the bench.”
— Kimberly Robinson (@KimberlyRobinsn) January 19, 2022
B) This is not a hill Sotomayor (metaphorically) wants to die on.One of the most notable things about this situation is that three (!) Justices commented on the record. The Justices don't typically respond to a request for comment.
— Kimberly Robinson (@KimberlyRobinsn) January 19, 2022
Three Supreme Court justices issued statements Wednesday addressing an NPR story about relations among the justices. On Tuesday, NPR reported that Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a longtime diabetic, had indicated to Chief Justice John Roberts that because of the omicron surge, she did not feel safe being in a room with people who are unmasked, and that the chief justice "in some form asked the other justices to mask up."The responses coming out of the Court all had a certain “Oh, shit, that didn’t do it!” quality. The responses all denied something the report didn’t say. Classic non-denial denials. And pretty clumsy ones.On Wednesday, Sotomayor and Gorsuch issued a statement saying that she did not ask him to wear a mask. NPR's report did not say that she did. Then, the chief justice issued a statement saying he "did not request Justice Gorsuch or any other justice to wear a mask on the bench." The NPR report said the chief justice's ask to the justices had come "in some form."NPR stands by its reporting.
Update: https://t.co/xmpgD6SgGD
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) January 19, 2022
I have been critical of Nina Totenberg for her reporting too often putting the court in too rosy a light but she is a careful reporter. I think her defense of what she said in light of what Sotomayor and Roberts said is valid. Goresuch is an asshole for not going out of his way to protect her health. At the very least he's no gentleman even to someone like her, we know he's a total asshole to workers and others with no power, Sotomayor and Kagan are the only two on that court who haven't been at some point, Breyer at times being rather callous in regard to that, as well.
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