Justice Neil Gorsuch attempted to draw upon his Coloradan roots to help the Supreme Court understand the geography of the West on Tuesday, but he got it wrong.
Chief Justice John Roberts discussed trucking routes during oral arguments on Tuesday and asked which interstate ran across Montana.
“I-80 across Montana,” Gorsuch answered.
“There you go,” Roberts continued. “It’s that geographical diversity.”
Moments later, Gorsuch proffered, “Maybe it’s 90,” but Roberts continued by suggesting that truckers would follow I-80.
I-80 runs east and west, but does not go through Montana. Gorsuch realized his mistake later during the arguments.
“I must apologize,” Gorsuch said. “It’s 90 across Montana. 80 across Wyoming. I’m very sorry, Mr. Chief Justice.”
“Didn’t I say 90?” Roberts said to laughs in the courtroom.
This week marks the last oral arguments of the Supreme Court’s term and Gorsuch’s second week on the high court. But Gorsuch was not the only justice to slip up Tuesday, as Justice Stephen Breyer’s cell phone rang during oral arguments, even though electronics are not allowed inside the courtroom.
