The “viewing” service for Justice Antonin Scalia will be on Friday. The public can come and pay respects while the Justice is lying in repose. (Getty)
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will lie in repose during a ceremony on Friday, where the public is invited to come and pay their respects. The public will also be able to attend Scalia’s funeral on Saturday morning. These are the details about the ceremony, how to attend, and where his motorcade will be.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. A Private Ceremony Will Start at 9:30 a.m. at the Supreme Court Great Hall
A private ceremony for Scalia will take place before the public visitation. (Getty)
A private ceremony will be held for Scalia’s family, close friends, and justices at 9:30 a.m. Eastern before the public ceremony. Scalia’s casket will be placed on the Lincoln Catafalque, the same platform that Abraham Lincoln’s coffin rested on in 1865 in the Capitol rotunda, ABC News reported. A portrait of Scalia, made in 2007, will be displayed nearby.
2. The Public Service Will Be From 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Great Hall
The public viewing for Scalia starts at 10:30 a.m. (Getty)
The public is invited to come and pay their respects to Scalia at the Supreme Court’s Great Hall. The public service will take place from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. and thousands are expected to attend. According to the Supreme Court website, photography is allowed inside the building (except in the Courtroom). It should be noted that although this is often referred to as a viewing, the Justice’s body won’t actually be viewable. His casket will be closed with an American flag draped over it.
3. Parking Is Limited Near the Supreme Court Building, But There Are Also Bus and Train Stops Nearby
Street parking will be tough to get at the Supreme Court on the day of the viewing. (Getty)
The Supreme Court is located at 1 First Street, NE between East Capitol Street and Maryland Avenue. You can see a map of the Supreme Court’s location here. The closest Metro stops are Capitol South (Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines) and Union Station (Red Line). If you’re taking a Metro bus, the Circulator (Navy Yard Line), 96, 97, and A11 buses all stop in front of the Supreme Court building. The 32, 34, 36, and 39 buses stop at First Street and Independence Avenue, two blocks away. If arriving by train, Amtrak, VRE, and MARC trains service Union Station, about 1/2 mile from the Court.
Street parking near the Supreme Court is very limited and will be hard to get today. The closest parking garage is near Union Station, the Supreme Court’s website advises.
4. A Motorcade Will Take Scalia’s Body from Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home to the Supreme Court
The casket of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist lies in the Great Hall of the U.S. Supreme Court as Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (C) and Sandra Day O’Connor (L) walk past September 6, 2005 in Washington, DC. (Getty)
A motorcade will transport Scalia’s body from Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home at 9902 Braddock Road in Fairfax to the Supreme Court on Friday morning, Patch.com reported. The Supreme Court police will carry his casket up the court steps, with former clerks serving as honorary pallbearers. The ceremony will depart from normal tradition in that current and former justices will not stand on the marble steps outside the courthouse as the casket is carried inside, according to ABC News. Instead, they will wait inside.
5. You Can Watch the Viewing Online or on TV
Scalia’s viewing will be broadcast on C-SPAN. (Getty)
If you can’t attend the lying in repose ceremony in person, you can still watch it online or on television. C-SPAN will be broadcasting the viewing live on TV at C-SPAN 1 and online at this link starting at 9:15 a.m. The Supreme Court’s Friday morning private conference has been canceled because of the viewing, and the Court won’t be issuing orders on Monday, February 22 before it hears arguments in two cases at 10 a.m., Constitution Daily reported.