Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court announced a delay on all of their cases, but now they are holding them via video calls. 

March 24, 2020 is when the press first released that the Supreme Court Justices would be holding hearings through video calls. This makes it exponentially more difficult to hold court proceedings. The Justices now have to worry about background noise, connectivity, and more problems as they move online. Although they are in the comfort of their own homes, they still have to keep work separate from their personal lives. When dealing with a case, the Justices and lawyers usually read body language, and they cannot do that well if they cannot see the defendant or the victim.

After the Supreme Court made this decision, many other smaller courts decided to follow along, such as state and county courts. The Supreme court is also streaming some of their hearings, which you can access at ca9.uscourts.gov.

The Justices and judges have had problems with dress codes as well. Judge Dennis Bailey stated that in his experience “one male lawyer appeared shirtless and one female attorney appeared still in bed, still under the covers.”

Even in these trying times, Justices and judges have figured out a way to do their job. This shows that even from home, there are still many possibilities for adaptation.