Souter Assaulted
WaPo/AP: Supreme Court Justice Assaulted During Jog
Supreme Court Justice David Souter suffered minor injuries when a group of young men assaulted him as he jogged on a city street, a court spokeswoman said Saturday.
The attack occurred about 9 p.m. Friday at 5th and N streets SW, D.C. police said.
Supreme Court police took Souter, 64, to a Washington hospital, where he was examined and released about 1 a.m. Saturday, court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said. She did not detail his injuries except to say they were minor.
Souter was not robbed, Arberg said.
It goes without saying that it’s good that Souter is apparently fine. But why on earth was the man out jogging at 9 p.m. on a Friday night in D.C.?! It’s not as if it’s the middle of summer and one has to run that late to escape the heat. This isn’t a good neighborhood, Mr. Justice. That goes double if you’re a 64-year-old man. And a Supreme Court Justice.
Update: CNN reports that the attack “appears random.”
Are you sure he wasn’t out walking his dog?
The story says “as he jogged on a city street.” Of course, he could have been jogging with his dog. Or the spokesman could have gotten it wrong. Or the reporter.
Can anyone say “Kevin Spacey”?
Wasn’t Justice Ginsburg also mugged a few years ago? I seem to remember a story on that. One would think that Supreme Court justices would have some sort of protection while out.
A Supreme Court Justice is deserving of the same protection as the rest of us.
Fred,
Actually, since the Justices are a crucial part of the triple balance of our government, they should have better security than the rest of us. They get protection that’s similar to that of members of Congress, from their own Supreme Court Police and from US Marshals.
Isn’t Souter single? Middle aged? Did he per chance run into these young men on “accident”. I think the “Kevin Spacey” comment above could be onto something.
—