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| No Lines—Really! |
My still-hot-and-nearly-full coffee would not be wasted–I had my ticked so sat on one of the cold marble benches watching the sun crawl up the Capitol building and bounce off a street full of buses and cabs. Inside and after breakfast I joined the line and landed in the middle of a chatty group. The very young couple finishing an internship with the U.S. Marshal’s–their drama was how to deliver a goodbye to her roommate, a Saudi national who apparently is a little full of herself. Mean spirited and self-absorbed summarizes how she described her. Bad mouthing our country yet fully committed to leaving the stay in the U.S. to head either to her mom’s apartment in New Jersey or the family apartment in central California–sounds as if that was all the roommate could talk about.
well versed in the 83 nations that may be impacted by the decision of the Lozano vs. Alvarez case. He was in the U.S. just for the week and was easily able to articulate the nature of the case–both sides– to our group of relative laypeople. Interesting guy–the kind you’d want to meet for a drink.
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| Winning Number 12 |
Repeating things helps—it’s nice to pick up a trick or two for the next time. I snuck out of line just before we were ushered up to the court room and stuffed my things in a small bank of lockers on the ground floor. That bought me eleven places in line as almost everyone in front of me was scooted off to the upstairs locker room while I was able to turn the corner and jump almost to the front for seating! Point for experience. Seated five rows back (every row in front of me was reserved for family and other VIPS) and lined up directly between Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kennedy I had a near perfect view–minus the part about the VIPs. Actually, however, that turned out well as the wife, mother and three young boys of the petitioner’s attorney was just in front and to the left of me. He, and they, must be regulars—as one of the stereotypical young, long-haired female ushers went up to them to say hello. She mentioned something about the twins and remembered that last time she saw them they had a birthday. As attorney Shawn Regan walked past me on the right his wife noticed him and pointed him out to the boys–Regan turned back just before he entered the Bar area and gave a smile and wink to the kids—very sweet! A little later I heard the same usher wish him good luck. I wonder if that’s appropriate–for staff to take a side over another or if out of general courtesy they wish luck upon everyone. Thankfully we were finally underway—it was the only thing that shut up the fella three seats to my left who chattered non-stop the entire 41 minutes we waited for the justices to enter.
Enter the respondent who countered with a seemingly exceptionally young attorney. Couldn’t have been 30–maybe I’m getting old but that seems so young to be presenting such an important case before this court. She, Lauren Moskowitz, received no less of a lashing than did Regan. Once again the court seemed to be unable to get what they wanted. Time after time, often in animated and terse fashion (Scalia and Breyer, respectively) went after her–multiple times asking for a simple yes or no. Credit as well to Justice Alito who came up with the analogy used most often by multiple justices.