Televising the Supreme CourtMike Rappaport

The Wall Street Journal Law blog reports:

When the issue of televising the Court s proceedings was raised [by a congressional committee], Justice Kennedy said it raised a sensitive point about the constitutional separation of powers and that it wasn t for Congress to decide. He said: We feel very strongly that we have intimate knowledge of the dynamics and the mood of the court, and we think that proposals mandating and directing television in our court are inconsistent with the deference and etiquette that should apply between the branches.

Justice Thomas echoed Justice Kennedy s concerns, adding that TV could change the nature of the decision-making process. It runs the risk of undermining the manner in which we consider cases, he said. He also said that broadcasting Court sessions would raise security concerns as members of the court who now have some degree of anonymity would lose their anonymity.

I don’t know if I support televising Supreme Court arguments, but I find these justices’ answers so annoying, I would be tempted to pass a law requiring the televising of arguments  out of spite. 

They don’t want publicity.  Who cares what they want? They exercise power; lots of people in the public spotlight don’t want publicity either. They feel “very strongly that [they] have intimate knowledge of the dynamics and the mood of the court.”  What arrogance!  Roll Those Cameras!