WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts and two other U.S. Supreme Court justices issued unusual statements Wednesday over what is for many Americans a common refrain — whether their coworkers should wear a mask amid the COVID-19 surge.
Following reports of friction inside the court over the issue, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch jointly said she didn’t ask him to wear a mask during arguments. Sotomayor, 67, who has type 1 diabetes, has been taking part in arguments remotely, while Gorsuch is the only justice who isn’t wearing a mask on the bench.
A few hours later, Roberts issued his own statement saying, “I did not request Justice Gorsuch or any other justice to wear a mask on the bench.”
