Justice Breyer's phone rings in court

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

A high court argument last 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.