Supreme Court Postpones April Oral Arguments, Will Consider Alternatives If Coronavirus Affects Remainder Of Term

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The Supreme Court will postpone oral arguments planned for April, and said that it will consider “a range of scheduling options and other alternatives” if proceedings cannot be held through the remainder of the term.

The arguments were to be held April 20-22 and April 27-29. The court will continue to hold regularly scheduled conferences and to post opinions on its website. Last month, it issued a ruling in Byron Allen’s racial discrimination lawsuit against Comcast. The justices unanimously ruled in favor of Comcast, deciding that Allen needed to meet a higher legal threshold for his case to go forward.

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The court already had postponed oral arguments in March. They were set to consider a case that had to do with the ability of congressional committees and New York state authorities to subpoena President Donald Trump’s tax returns. Another planned argument, over Google’s use of Java programming software language, has been followed closely by showbiz as it could have an impact on how copyright law is interpreted.

“The Court will consider rescheduling some cases from the March and April sessions before the end of the Term, if circumstances permit in light of public health and safety guidance at that time,” the court said. “The Court will consider a range of scheduling options and other alternatives if arguments cannot be held in the Courtroom before the end of the Term.”

The court’s term ends in late June.

The court building is still open for business, but most of the workforce is teleworking. The court has been closed to visitors until further notice.

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