Ginsburg remembered as prophet for justice
WASHINGTON >> With crowds of admirers swelling outside, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was remembered Wednesday at the court by grieving family, colleagues and friends as a prophet for justice who persevered against long odds to become an American icon.
The court’s eight justices, masked along with everyone else because of the coronavirus pandemic, gathered for the first time in more than six months for the ceremony to mark Ginsburg’s death from cancer last week at age 87 after 27 years on the court.
Washington already is consumed with talk of Ginsburg’s replacement, but Chief Justice John Roberts focused on his longtime colleague.
The best words to describe Ginsburg are “tough, brave, a fighter, a winner,” Roberts said, but also “thoughtful, careful, compassionate, honest.”
The woman who late in life became known in admiration as the Notorious RBG “wanted to be an opera virtuoso, but became a rock star instead,” Roberts said. Ginsburg’s two children, Jane and James, and other family members sat on one side of the casket, across from the justices.
With her portrait on display nearby, Ginsburg’s flagdraped casket sat in the court’s Great Hall for the private service before it was moved outside so the public could honor her Wednesday and Thursday. Health precautions because of the pandemic led the court to limit the number of people inside the building, which has been closed to the public since March.
Thousands of people were expected to pay their respects to the women’s rights champion and leader of the court’s liberal bloc. Her casket, carried inside past her former law clerks who lined the courthouse steps, is to be on public view until 10 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.
The members of the court were arrayed in their seats in order of seniority, now changed by Ginsburg’s death so that Justices Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer f lanked Roberts. Breyer took the spot Ginsburg held when the court last gathered for a justice’s memorial, in 2019 follow
ing the death of John Paul They said they were Rosa Parks, a private citiStevens. buoyed as they waited in zen not a government offi
Rabbi Lauren Holtzbline to be surrounded by cial, is the only woman who latt of Washington, D.C., people who felt the same has lain in honor at the Capcompareditol.Ginsburgtoaway. prophet who imagined a “I liked that I was with insburg will be buried world of greater equality like-minded people,” Linbeside her husband, Martin, and then worked to make derman said. “I feel enerin a private ceremony at Arit happen. gized,.” lington National Cemetery
“This was Justice Gins“Where we live, we’re next week. Martin Ginsburg burg’s life’s work. To insist usually in the minority,” died in 2010. She is survived that the Constitution deliver Weseman said. by her son and daughter, on its promise, that we the Since Ginsburg’s death four grandchildren, two people would include all the Friday evening, people have step- grandchildren and a people. She carried out that been leaving flowers, notes, great-grandchild. work in every chapter of her placards and all manner of Ginsburg’s death has life,” said Holtzblatt, whose Ginsburg paraphernalia added another layer of tuhusband, Ari, once worked outside the court in tribute. mult to an already chaotic as a law clerk to Ginsburg. Court workers cleared away election year. President
Outside, some people the items and cleaned the Donald Trump and Senwaiting to pass by the cascourt plaza and sidewalk ate Republicans are plowket said they had driven in advance of Wednesday’s ing ahead with plans to through the night. One of ceremony. have a new justice on the those in line, Heather SetInside, the entrance to bench, perhaps before the zler, a physician assistant the courtroom, along with Nov. 3 election. Trump, who from Raleigh, North CarGinsburg’s chair and place traded insults with Ginsolina, said she named her on the bench next to Robburg four years ago, was extwo cats Hillary Ruth and erts, have been draped in pected to pay his respects Kiki, in honor of Ginsburg’s black, a longstanding court on Thursday. childhood nickname. custom. These visual signs Only Chief Justice Roger
“There was just someof mourning, which in years Taney, who died in Octothing about her. She was so past have reinforced the ber 1864, died closer to a diminutive yet turned out sense of loss, will largely go presidential election. Presto be such a giant,” Setzler unseen this year. The court ident Abraham Lincoln said, wearing a face mask begins its new term Oct. 5, waited until December to adorned with small porbut the justices will not be nominate his replacement, traits of Ginsburg. in the courtroom and inSalmon Chase, who was
Rachel Linderman and stead will hear arguments confirmed the same day. Rychelle Weseman of Olean, by phone. When Justice Antonin New York, traveled to the On Friday, Ginsburg Scalia, Ginsburg’s closest nation’s capital because will lie in state at the Capfriend on the court, died unthey said they wanted to be itol, the first woman to do expectedly in 2016, Republicounted among Ginsburg’s so and only the second Sucans refused to act on Presfollowers and demonstrate preme Court justice after ident Barack Obama’s highhow important her legacy is William Howard Taft. Taft court nomination of Judge to Americans. had also been president. Merrick Garland.