Anthrax Forces Supreme Court to Close

W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 29 -- The number of known anthrax "hot spots" in the nation's capital climbed today as authorities announced the discovery of the bacteria at the Supreme Court, the State Department and a Health and Human Services building.

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For the first time since it opened 66 years ago, the Supreme Court building was closed on a business day after anthrax was detected in the basement mailroom a day earlier.

"Based upon the positive testing in the mailroom, additional testing is being conducted," said Kathy Arberg, a spokeswoman for the court, adding that the building would remain closed at least through Tuesday.

A sweep of the historic structure was prompted by the discovery last week of anthrax spores at an off-site inspection warehouse that handles mail sent to the high court. All 400 court employees, including the nine justices, were tested and given antibiotics as a precaution.

The nation's highest court has not convened outside the Supreme Court building since it was constructed in 1935, but the justices heard oral arguments today at a nearby U.S. District courthouse.

As he gaveled the court to order at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist made a brief statement, noting the unprecedented displacement and thanking staff "whose hard work made it possible to hear arguments."

The court staff brought Rehnquist's gavel, the justices' black robes and set up the lighting system used by the court to inform lawyers when their allotted time is used up. A seat cushion for Rehnquist, who suffers from back problems, was also brought from the Supreme Court.

Security outside the courtroom was so tight that even Solicitor General Ted Olson was asked to walk through a magnetometer and searched by a court officer.

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