Newbie SCOTUS Justice Amy Coney Barrett was the critical swing vote as the Court ruled, 5-4, late yesterday against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, as the Court favored religious groups sponsoring super-spreader Covid events (ttps://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/26/supreme-court-religion-covid-barrett-440808). Unllike Barrett, Cuomo is a firm believer in sensible public health regulations.
This followed a bizarrely large Hasidic wedding in Brooklyn with no social distancing and no masks (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/nyregion/williamsburg-jewish-wedding-coronavirus-covid-masks.html), causing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, also a Democrat, to fine the group $15,000.
First Amendment jurisprudence in the United States favors the “free” exercise of religion over against laws designed to protect the public in communitarian approaches.
Associate solitary reporter Susanna Sherman is renowned for her ability to slip unnoticed into private deliberations, which is how she was able to observe the nine-member Supreme Court as it deliberated on how best to embarrass Cuomo — who, by the way, would be a very worthy successor to President Biden during the 2028 presidential campaign season.
As Sherman listened intently, Justice Barrett told her colleagues that she knows full well that she was put on the Supreme Court primarily to rule against Democrats.
“When I met privately with Mitch McConnell during the vetting process,” Barrett said, “he gave me very clear instructions that I must only rule in favor of Republicans, and never for Democrats.”
“And I am fully on board with that."