Court will release audio tapes in terrorism, Cheney cases

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court will release audio tapes immediately after oral arguments in major cases about the U.S. government's response to terrorism and Vice President Dick Cheney's closed-door sessions to develop a national energy policy. 

The first tape will cover the April 20 arguments about the legal rights of foreign fighters detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said April 7. 

The Cheney case, to be argued on April 27, involves attempts by environmental and government watchdog groups to learn who helped draft an energy policy friendly to industry. 

On April 28, the court hears two cases about the open-ended detention of two U.S. citizens whom the government has labeled enemy combatants. They are being held in a Navy brig near Charleston, S.C. 

Radio and television stations plan to play portions or all of the tapes from those arguments. Ordinarily, news organizations covering the court must rely only on handwritten notes from oral arguments, because reporters are not allowed to take tape recorders or cameras into the courtroom. 

The court does allow a professional audio recording of each argument, and usually releases those recordings at the end of each term. 

Release of same-day audio tapes is relatively new. The court first allowed it in response to news media requests in 2000, when the court heard two cases about Florida ballot recounts that determined the outcome of the presidential election. 

The court again released same-day audio tapes in last year's cases about affirmative action in college admissions and new campaign finance regulations.