Monday saw the Supreme Court resume oral arguments in person for the 19th time in 19 month, marking the beginning of a politically fraught new term that is scheduled to include cases about abortion and gun rights

The justices, returning to their imposing Washington courtroom after the coronavirus pandemic forced them to hold proceedings via teleconference, prodded lawyers arguing in two cases — a dispute about the ownership of groundwater that crosses the Mississippi-Tennessee border, and a criminal burglary case.

Only Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of the nine justices, sat on the bench. who tested positive for Covid on ThursdayParticipated from home remotely.

Monday’s session saw Justice Amy Coney Barrett (the newest judge and third appointee to the former President) attend the court. Donald TrumpHearing arguments face-to-face.

However, a number of pandemic-related modifications to court proceedings were still in force.

The building remained closed to the publicTheir status as of March 2020. In the courtroom were only allowed the judges, lawyers, necessary personnel and journalists holding full-time press credentials.

Again, audio of the arguments was available livestreamedYou can order online historic change implemented during the pandemic In the past, audio recordingsOnly the final week’s arguments made them publicly available.

Cross-examination was also carried out more in the same way as pre-pandemic, where any justice could intervene at any moment to ask lawyers. This is because they often had to make their case in the midst of a torrential stream of interruptions.

A turn-based system was used by the justices when cases were being heard via telephone. Justice Clarence Thomas was silent in person arguments. for years at a timeHe began to ask questions throughout the teleconference arguments.

Justices use the term “new term” for their new sentence. hybrid formatEach side can then take turns answering any remaining questions after each side has finished its 30 minute argument.

Thomas, Monday, was the first justice in each case to ask questions.

Multiple justices appeared deeply skeptical of Mississippi’s claim to the groundwater in a disputed aquifer, which the state argues is being pumped into Tennessee by the Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said to John Coghlan (a Mississippi lawyer): “You have been litigating the case for more than 16 years.” “When is enough?”

Justice Stephen Breyer said to Coghlan, “You have many things to explain to us, unfortunately,” and he would forgive them if they didn’t.

The court proceedings followed a more normal pattern, but the background was far from typical.

After a narrow decline to block an Texas law prohibiting abortions earlier than six weeks, the court was criticized for its new term.

A new poll indicating the Supreme Court’s popularity was conducted after this decision. lowest approval rating ever

This is how the court sets up for a number of cases that will have major implications. One such case could be the one that would overturn Roe v. Wade’s 1973 ruling which legalized and protected abortion rights.