The Supreme Court of the United States began hearing oral arguments in a slate of cases via teleconference in light of the coronavirus Monday. Listen above via an NBC News livestream.
“In keeping with public health guidance in response to COVID-19, the Justices and counsel will all participate remotely. The Court anticipates providing a live audio feed of these arguments to news media. Details will be shared as they become available,” said a release April 13, which added, “The Court Building remains open for official business, but most Court personnel are teleworking. The Court Building remains closed to the public until further notice.”
Six of the nine justices are over 65 years old. The CDC says that seniors and people with pre-existing conditions are more vulnerable to the virus.
Among the cases being heard are 19-635, Trump v. Vance, 19-715, Trump v. Mazars USA, LLP, and 19-760, Trump v. Deutsche Bank AG, involving President Donald Trump.
In December 2019, the Supreme Court justices agreed to decide whether Trump is able to block the release of his financial records. The decision has been expected to be made in June and will set the stage for a historic ruling on the power of presidents relating to demands for information from prosecutors and from Congress.
The Supreme Court joins a number of other industries implementing telecommuting now, as news anchors host their shows via Skype and Zoom Video Communications, an online video conference company, has seen its business flourish amid the coronavirus pandemic.