WASHINGTON — Most of the justices of the U.s. Supreme Court met together Friday for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the court building a year ago.
The justices met in person for their regular closed-door session, reviewing which cases to hear. They met in a conference room for the first time since last March. The members of the court who did not attended participated remotely, according to Kathleen Arberg, the court's public information officer.
All nine justices have been fully vaccinated. The decision to meet Friday in person "is in keeping with recently released CDC guidelines regarding indoor gatherings of fully vaccinated people," Arberg said.
She did not disclose which members of the court participated remotely. The court's oldest justice, 82-year-old Stephen Breyer, has been working remotely from his home in the Boston area since the pandemic hit.
The court has continued to do business, despite closing the building. Oral arguments have been conducted by telephone, a practice that will continue through term's end in late June.
The justices also stopped their custom of announcing a summary of decisions. The rulings are now simply posted on the court's website.
