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IPFS News Link • Justice and Judges

Diabetic liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, 67, is attending Supreme court remotely...

• https://www.dailymail.co, By MORGAN PHILLIPS

Diabetic Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is attending the Supreme Court remotely because her colleague Neil Gorsuch is reportedly refusing to wear a mask despite pleas from Chief Justice John Roberts. 

Last fall, amid a decline in Covid-19 cases, the court resumed in-person arguments for the first time, and none chose to wear a mask except Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who is 67 and has diabetes. 

But earlier this month when the court returned to the bench following the Omicron surge over the holidays, Sotomayor made it clear she did not feel safe in close proximity with the others unless they were masked, according to NPR. 

Roberts then reportedly asked the other justices to mask up so that Sotomayor could return, but Gorsuch, who sits directly next to her, remained obstinate. Sotomayor has thus continued to join court business by phone and has not stepped back into the court.

The rules are far more strict for those in the chamber who don't rank as justices. Reporters and lawyers are required to wear N95 masks and test negative for Covid-19.

The court could not be reached for comment on Gorsuch's mask wearing, but Mike Davis, Gorsuch's former law clerk, responded on Twitter: 'Every justice is vaccinated and boosted. Don't vaccines work? We know cloth masks don't.' 

Gorsuch, appointed by President Trump, also raised questions about vaccine mandates during oral arguments. The high court recently struck down President Biden's vaccine-or-test requirement for private employers, but left in place the mandate for workers in healthcare settings that receive federal funding. 


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