A deadly boating accident involving a downed power line led to U.S. Supreme Court arguments Jan. 14 in an immunity case about where to draw the legal line between government and commercial conduct.
A clear line failed to emerge during the hour-long oral argument, which marked the second week of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s absence while recovering from lung cancer surgery. She’ll still vote on the decision, which is expected by late June.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. framed the issue by noting that a “hybrid” entity like the Tennessee Valley Authority “does some things that are purely governmental...