SCOTUS talks about OJ and ponders the impact of race

Lyle Denniston at SCOTUSblog has this post and Mark Sherman for the AP has this story discussing oral argument today in Snyder v. Louisiana, 06-10119. Lyle’s post is titled “Trial judges on trial?” and it starts this way:

The case of Snyder v. Louisiana (06-10119) may live in history as a case about using O.J. Simpson’s legal troubles as a way to “play the race card” before an all-white jury trying a black man. The Supreme Court, in a hearing on Tuesday, showed some fascination with that part of the case. But the decision that ultimately emerges from the Court may also bring a call for trial judges to take a more active role in monitoring the race factor in criminal trials. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, in fact, implied that there may be a price to pay if judges do not take the hint: they won’t get the usual respect and deference, in appeals, for their conduct of trials.

The oral argument transcript is available at this link.