The U.S. Supreme Court avoided a catastrophic accident last year when a piece of marble at least 2 feet long crashed to the ground in an interior courtyard used by justices and their assistants, according to several court employees.
The incident, which the court has yet to publicly acknowledge, took place in the tense spring of 2022, when the court was already dealing with death threats and other security concerns and the justices were putting the finishing touches on their surprising decision to overturn Roe. v. Wade.
Justice Elena Kagan and her law clerks had been on the patio earlier in the day, employees said.
No one was hurt when the marble fell, employees said.
They said the piece was large enough to have seriously injured someone. It was much larger than the basketball-sized chunk that fell near the court’s main entrance in 2005.
The weight of the marble that fell is unknown, but the Georgia marble used in the court’s four interior courtyards weighs about 170 pounds per cubic foot, according to Polycor, owner of the quarry that provided the marble.
The Supreme Court avoided a catastrophic accident in 2022 when a huge piece of marble at least two feet long crashed to the ground in an interior courtyard used by justices and their assistants.
The employees spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because court policy prohibits all but a small number of employees from speaking on the record with reporters.
Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe did not provide any details about the incident or even confirm that it had taken place. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the building was closed at the time to the public and members of the media who regularly cover the court.
Each of the four courtyards has fountains and columns that resemble those on the outside of the building. There are tables and chairs where employees can eat lunch or work on nice days.
The patios are closed for restoration work that could cost nearly $35 million, budget requests to Congress show. The court had planned to remake the patios long before the marble fell. Work has continued, mostly at night, after court workers have left for the day.
In addition to restoring the marble, workers are also updating fountains, plumbing and electrical systems that date back to the building’s 1935 opening.
In November 2005, a marble molding fell from the façade above the entrance to the courthouse and landed on the steps near visitors waiting to enter the building on a Monday morning. No one was hurt either.
Chief Justice John Roberts made a joking reference to the 2005 incident when speaking at Drake University Law School three years later.
At the time, the building was undergoing an extensive renovation that would cost approximately $120 million and last until 2011.
“Now, there were many reasons why we had to renovate the building, including the fact that we were literally losing our minds,” Roberts said, quoted in a university news release. “Occasionally a piece of marble would break off and fall from above, threatening to shorten the useful life.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn