Oral arguments and decision announcements are open to members of the public, who sit on these red benches and chairs. But seating is limited. To be guaranteed
one of about 50 spots, would-be spectators line up outside the court. For major cases, crowds have been known to
camp out overnight for a chance to glimpse the court in action.
According to a book on the Supreme Court by Fred and Suzy Maroon, the heavy velvet drapes were added because the sunlight that streamed in from an inner courtyard could be so intense. They also helped with the acoustics, which were so muffled that Justice Felix Frankfurter suggested they should be declared
unconstitutional.
The oak doors in the chamber feature ornate carvings. As with much of the building, the chamber appears older than it is. As
Judith Resnik and
Dennis Curtis, professors at Yale Law School, explained
in a lecture and their book, “Representing Justice,” it “was designed to look old — as if it had been in place since the country’s founding.”
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