Above The Law reports
Of course it was the Fifth Circuit….
I still can’t wrap my mind around this one. Like we are in year three of a pandemic, and, while imperfect, masking is an important tool in limiting the spread of COVID-19. I guess the Fifth Circuit never got the memo.
Joshua Koppel did not want to travel to New Orleans for oral arguments because he has two young children at home that cannot be vaccinated. Which, fair enough. So he asked to attend the argument remotely, since, you know, WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. But the Fifth Circuit panel — Jerry Smith, Jennifer Elrod, and Andy Oldham — denied the motion. If you guessed that all three panel members were appointed by Republicans, you get a shiny gold star.
Anyway, this is where things get truly bonkers. During the oral argument, Judge Jerry Smith asked Koppel to remove his mask — as detailed by Mark Joseph Stern on Twitter:
Full article at https://abovethelaw.com/2022/02/federal-judges-ask-lawyer-appearing-before-them-to-remove-mask/
and now…
