“You may wonder what makes our Constitution so special. I am here to persuade you that our Constitution is something extraordinary, something to revere.”
So waxed our great defender of the Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, even as a federal marshal was seizing reporters’ tape recordings of the speech. The marshal claims that Scalia didn’t want the event recorded, but according to the story that announcement was never made at the event.
The incident raises a couple questions: First, why does Scalia refuse to allow his remarks to be recorded? Is he that prone to make comments which would come back to haunt him? And second, why are marshals, who are supposed to be providing protection doing Scalia’s dirty work and seizing tapes?
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is protesting the incident as a violation of the Privacy Protection Act.
Greetings,
It is odd that that task was left to U.S. Marshals. What happened to the Secret Service? They are usually the ones who do that type of work…
Also, as for Scalia’a speeches, there were reporters present to take notes and the like, so his comments could be reported on. I think he just doesn’t like the idea that his vioce or picture could wind up on the evening news, considering that today most Americans read very little (print) news compared to watching it on CNN or FOX. So, by making Americans work for the news, he severely limits his audience.
–jeff-perado
I’m don’t know what compels him to do this. Other justices don’t seem to have a problem with being recorded.