WASHINGTON It's the time of the year when Supreme Court justices can get testy. Ginsburg's oral dissent underscored her belief that urgent action was needed, even if it wasn't the only reason lawmakers acted. University of Minnesota professor Timothy Johnson, who has written about oral dissents, says justices also reach the public through them. Decisions that divide the court 5-4 are more likely to generate the passion that prompts a dissenting justice to speak up, research shows. Roberts' lone oral dissent came in 2015 when the court ruled that gay couples have a right to marry nationwide.