September 11, 2001 – Only Judicial Conference of US Session in History Halted Before it Could be Concluded

On this day in history, the fall session of the Judicial Conference of the United States, led by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, began uneventfully.

According to a US Courts government website history, however:

Rehnquist abruptly closed the meeting around 10 a.m., a half hour after it started, and was led away by U.S. Marshals personnel. The other judges were ushered out of the Supreme Court, unsure what to do next.”

Judge Carolyn Dineen King, then-Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, recalled:

The chief justice said, as only he can, ‘Leave all your papers right where they are. I want you to get up and walk out of this room, and follow instructions about how to get out of the building.’”

Shortly after the Pentagon was struck by a hijacked jet on Sept. 11, 2001, the Judicial Conference of the United States abruptly closed its session at the Supreme Court. Credit: Department of Defense, via uscourts.gov

Rehnquist was escorted away to an undisclosed location, adding to the other judges’ confusion.

The history site adds:

Only gradually as Judicial Conference members left the Supreme Court did they learn of the tragedy unfolding in New York and at the Pentagon. Amid reports that a fourth hijacked jet — which later crashed in Pennsylvania — was flying toward Washington, urgent evacuations were underway across the street at the U.S. Capitol.”

Thereafter, the George W. Bush administration put the Continuity of Operations plan into effect for the first time. Continuity of Operations Planning, also known as COOP, has played an increasingly central role in Judiciary operations. In addition, rules to deal with emergencies are under continual revision.