Marble Moulding From Supreme Court Falls To Floor Near Tourists

[matcom]

<snip>

WASHINGTON -- A basketball-sized piece of marble moulding fell from the facade over the entrance to the Supreme Court, landing on the steps near visitors waiting to enter the building.

No one was injured when the stone fell. The marble was part of the dentil moulding that serves as a frame for the frieze of statues atop the court's main entrance.

A group of visitors had just entered the building and had passed under the frieze when the stone fell at 9:30 a.m. EST.

Jonathan Fink, a government attorney waiting in line to attend arguments, said, "All of a sudden, these blocks started falling. It was like a thud, thud."

Ed Fisher, a government worker, said some of the marble pieces shattered, spraying the area with smaller chunks of stone. A group of students from Columbus, Ohio, pocketed some of the fragments as souvenirs, Fisher said.

Mark Goodman, a Washington resident, said some of the people who picked up larger pieces of stones took them back. "We'll have to look on eBay tomorrow," Goodman said.

Earlier in the morning, dozens of people had lined up in hopes of getting a seat for arguments inside the court -- a practice which is not unusual. Justices were back on the bench Monday following a two-week recess.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/5417627/detail.html

[El Fuego]

1. I think it's an omen

A bad one. :(

[WCGreen]

2. Scalia is still pissed off.....