Covering the Supreme Court

It was my first assignment to the US Supreme Court after thirty years of reporting in DC. I was excited! The nation's highest Court had never clearly decided whether the Second Amendment protects citizen rights to keep a gun for self defense. Was it a right only associated with serving in a State militia as DC officials had contended in defending their tough ban on hand guns?

I was up at 5:30 Tuesday morning. Had to be at Channel 9 by 7:30 to meet cameraman Mike Trammel. I had read everything needed on the issue. More importantly in my preparation, I had covered the City for three decades which included scores of slayings and attempted slayings using the weapon of choice in this city--the illegal and supposedly banned semi automatic handgun.

We arrived at the Supreme Court, which sits behind the Capitol at about 8:15 and were greeted by a lot of live TV camera crews, a handful of protesters of the gun ban and dozens of people who had been camped out for over 24 hours to get one of the prized seats available to the public.

I entered through the Maryland Avenue side of the building, as fellow reporter Gary Nurenberg had directed me, from his times covering the highest court.

I walked in with veteran court reporter Wyatt Andrews of CBS. We first met years ago on assignment in Moscow.

I followed Watt to the press room and was greeted professionally and warmly by a Supreme Court staffer and longtime Channel 9 viewer who welcomed me and congratulated me in the same sentence on my long stay at the TV station.

The experience really gets interesting from this point on..I'm given a folder with the names and pictures of all 9 justices. "Chief Justice John Roberts is number one", she says. "Of course he is" I insist. Not knowing why they would be ranked. 'Stevens is number two. Scalia..number three. Kennedy is number four and so it went all the way to Alito at number nine.

It turned out that we would need the numbered pictures because most of us would never see the Justices nor the courtroom proceedings. We were given seating numbers. I had ticket number F-13 which in the end got me a front row seat--behind a curtain--off to the far side of the room, that allowed for very limited viewing. Peering into the stately and historic room, I could only see four Justices on the far right end..Alito, Ginsburg, Beyer and maybe a part of Justice Scalia.

I could barely hear any one. our chaperon was there to sneak peaks around a pillar into the room-to identify who was talking-and then hold up her fingers to identify the Justice. "Number one", she says. That means Chief Justice John Roberts is speaking. I would write that down as part of my notes. "Number eight", she whispers. Justice Breyer is now asking a question.

I could see DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, Police Chief Cathy Lanier,City Administrator Dan Tangerlini City Councilman Vincent Gray and Youth advocate Ronald Moten. They had great seats in the middle of the room. I was told the Chief executive was given five or six passes. How did Moten qualify for that great view,I wondered to myself?

The Justices were quick to interrupt and cut off the attorney for the City Walter Dellinger. I could sense the gun ban was in trouble.

Clarence Thomas was the only Justice not to speak on the subject. Veteran observers say if he had--it would have been news--he never asks questions.

The Court should have a decision in June on whether the Second Amendment protects citizen's right to have a gun, which would kill the city's ban on hand guns

In the end my assignment at the Supreme Court was a great experience--can't get this during the course of the day anywhere else--only in DC.