Tuesday, November 15, 2011

C-SPAN Asks Supreme Court To Broadcast Health Care Oral Argument

Today, Brian P. Lamb, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of C-SPAN sent a letter to Chief Justice Roberts, and a copy to each Justice, asking the Court to broadcast the five and a half hours of oral argument the Court has scheduled in the various cases relating to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (prior post HERE). The request is copied below and you can click on it to make it larger:


I am sure the request will be denied as this is the same Court that entered a stay (see HERE) to prevent a California District Court from broadcasting its trial. The Court also denied THIS request from C-SPAN and CNN in 2000 asking to broadcast the Bush v. Gore oral argument (an article is available HERE). However, the Court did release the audio of the Bush v. Gore argument on an expedited basis and you can listen to the audio HERE and HERE. Of course, you could have watched the argument before the Florida Supreme Court live and can watch an archived copy HERE

Just last month THIS article references testimony by Justice Scalia and Justice Breyer that providing a video of oral argument is not important. You can view the actual testimony HEREJustice Kagan, however, apparently supports the broadcast of oral arguments (according to THIS New York Times article). Assuming the request is denied, audio of the oral argument will be available on the Supreme Court's website (HERE), which states:
The audio recordings of all oral arguments heard by the Supreme Court of the United States is available to the public at the end of each argument week. The audio recordings are posted on Fridays after Conference. The public may either download the audio files or listen to the recordings on the Court’s Web site. The audio recordings are listed by case name, docket number, and the date of oral argument. The Court began audio recording oral arguments in 1955. The recordings are maintained at The National Archives and Records Administration.  Prior to the 2010 Term, the recordings from one Term of Court were not available until the beginning of the next Term. The Archives will continue to serve as the official repository for the Court’s audio recordings. 
The Supreme Court's September 28, 2010 press release about releasing the audio recordings of oral arguments is below: 
         
For Immediate ReleaseFor Further Information Contact:
September 28, 2010Kathleen Arberg (202) 479-3211


Beginning with October Term 2010, the audio recordings of all oral arguments heard by the Supreme Court of the United States will be available free to the public on the Court’s Web site, www.supremecourt.gov, at the end of each argument week.  The audio recordings will be posted on Fridays after Conference.

The public may either download the audio files or listen to the recordings on the Court’s Web site.  The MP3 files of the audio recordings may be accessed by clicking on the “Oral Arguments” prompt on the home page, and selecting “Argument Audio.”  The audio recordings will be listed by case name, docket number, and the date of oral argument.  The recordings will also be accessible by clicking on “What’s New” on the site’s home page.

The Court began audio recording oral arguments in 1955.  The recordings are maintained at The National Archives and Records Administration.  Prior to the 2010 Term, the recordings from one Term of Court were not available until the beginning of the next Term.  The Archives will continue to serve as the official repository for the Court’s audio recordings. 

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