The Supreme Court wrapped up its October 2019 term on Thursday, with Chief Justice John Roberts announcing the Court had completed all cases submitted for decision and would recess until the first Monday in October. The conclusion marks the end of a consequential term that included landmark decisions on presidential immunity, abortion rights, and religious freedom.
“I am authorized to announce that the Court has acted upon all cases submitted to the Court for decision this Term,” Roberts stated in the session’s closing remarks.
Veteran Staff Depart as Term Concludes
In his closing statement, Roberts took time to recognize six long-serving Court employees who are retiring this year, collectively representing more than 160 years of service to the nation’s highest court.
Among the departing staff are two trailblazers who made history as the first women to hold their respective positions. Christine Luchok Fallon, who served as Reporter of Decisions for nine years and oversaw the publication of nearly 30 volumes of Supreme Court Reports, will retire effective September 25. Marshal Pamela Talkin, who has sat beside the bench for 19 years and heard more than 1,300 arguments while supervising 260 employees, announced her retirement effective July 31.
“Ms. Fallon has served as reporter for nine years and is the first woman to hold the position,” the Chief Justice noted, adding appreciation for Talkin’s nearly two decades of service: “Our Marshal, Pamela Talkin, who has sat next to the Bench for the past 19 years and has heard more than 1,300 arguments, has announced her retirement.”
The other retiring staffers include James Baker from the Marshal’s Office with more than 35 years of service, Agent Andrew Ruggles from the Police force with more than 28 years, Melissa Walters from the Clerk’s Office with nearly 28 years (who retired July 31, 2019), and Kathleen Tycz, also from the Clerk’s Office, who served for more than four decades.
“Mr. Baker, Agent Ruggles, Ms. Walters, Ms. Tycz, Ms. Fallon, and Marshal Talkin, the Court thanks each of you for your dedicated public service to Court and Country,” Roberts declared.
Roberts’ Health Scare
The Court’s adjournment comes just weeks after Roberts, who has served as the 17th Chief Justice since 2005, experienced a health scare. On June 21, the 65-year-old jurist was hospitalized overnight after falling while walking for exercise near his home.
“The injury required sutures, and out of an abundance of caution, he stayed in the hospital overnight and was discharged the next morning,” according to a Court spokesperson. Doctors ruled out a seizure as the cause of the fall, instead attributing it to dehydration-induced light-headedness.
Despite this personal setback, Roberts has maintained a commanding presence on the Court, occasionally breaking from conservative colleagues on high-profile cases and emerging as an unexpected swing vote on certain issues.
Defending the Court’s Independence
What’s often overlooked amid the term’s legal battles is Roberts’ increasingly vocal defense of the Court’s institutional independence. Earlier this year, he took the unusual step of publicly rebuking threatening statements directed at the Court from high-ranking government officials.
“Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous,” Roberts remarked in March, underscoring his commitment to maintaining the judiciary’s autonomy.
The Court announced that dispositions of items considered at its final conference would be released at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 9.
As the justices disperse for their summer break, they leave behind a term that will be remembered not just for its consequential decisions, but for the unprecedented circumstances under which they were delivered — with arguments conducted remotely for the first time in the Court’s history due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to thank the Supreme Court employees for their outstanding work and dedication to their important responsibilities this Term,” Roberts said, acknowledging the extraordinary challenges faced by the Court’s staff in adapting to the pandemic’s disruptions while maintaining the institution’s essential functions.
