Kavanaugh to skip traditional walk down Supreme Court steps over security concerns

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Justice Kavanaugh settles into his role on the Supreme Court

In his second week of oral arguments as the 'new guy' on the bench, Justice Brett Kavanaugh is keeping it simple: Asking short, textual questions in the public sessions, deferring to his colleagues and avoiding soliloquies or harsh rhetoric.

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will skip a traditional walk down the court’s front steps during a formal ceremony Thursday over security concerns.

New justices typically walk down the court steps with the chief justice after their formal investiture ceremony. Every new justice since John Paul Stevens, who joined the court in 1975, has done the walk, court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said.

She said Kavanaugh’s skipping of the tradition is “out of an abundance of caution due to security concerns,” Bloomberg reported.

Kavanaugh was narrowly confirmed to the court by the Senate 50-48 last month. He faced stiff opposition from Democrats after several women accused him of sexual misconduct dating back to his high school and college days.

He has denied the claims. During his confirmation process, Kavanaugh, his wife, and accuser Christine Blasey Ford all received death threats.

Arberg declined to say whether President Trump will attend the ceremony, as he did last year for Justice Neil Gorsuch.