SUPREME COURT NOTEBOOK

Court revives suit against Indian casino limo driver

WASHINGTON (AP) - A unanimous Supreme Court says that Indian tribes' immunity from lawsuits does not always extend to their employees in incidents that occur far from Indian reservations.

The justices ruled Tuesday in a case that involved a limo driver who rear-ended a car on a Connecticut interstate. The court revived a state court civil lawsuit filed by the injured occupants of the car.

The case had been dismissed because the limo driver works for an Indian tribe with a casino in the state.

Indian tribes are like foreign governments in that they generally can't be sued in American courts.

But Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the court that in cases like the one from Connecticut, "the tribe's sovereign immunity is not implicated."

New Justice Neil Gorsuch did not take part.

 

Justice Stephen Breyer's cellphone rings in court

WASHINGTON (AP) - Even Supreme Court justices forget to turn off their cellphones.

A high court argument Tuesday was interrupted by the familiar sound of a ring chime, and Justice Stephen Breyer was the culprit.

A mildly embarrassed Breyer quickly appeared to reach down to turn it off as a majority of his colleagues on the bench broke into smiles. Justice Samuel Alito struggled to suppress a laugh.

Cellphones and other electronic devices are strictly forbidden in the ornate courtroom - a rule that includes observers and lawyers arguing before the court, but apparently not the justices themselves.

Breyer and fellow Justice Clarence Thomas shared a quick laugh about the incident. But it didn't fluster lawyer Neal Katyal, who was in the middle of answering a question.

Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg later called the incident an "oversight" and said Breyer doesn't usually take his phone into the courtroom.

Published: Thu, Apr 27, 2017