Supreme Court Tele-Argument Brings Minor Hiccups, Thomas Queries

The U.S. Supreme Court navigated around some minor hiccups as it held its first-ever telephone argument, a session that was broadcast live and included two rare sets of questions from the usually silent Justice Clarence Thomas.

The argument Monday in a trademark case gave people across the country an unprecedented chance to hear a Supreme Court hearing as it happened. It’s the first of 10 arguments the court will hold by phone over the next two weeks, as the justices press ahead with their work amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The 75-minute session, which ran 15 minutes longer than planned, ...