U.S. Supreme Court

 

Basic Facts: 

• There have been over 100 Supreme Court justices that all have served an average of sixteen years - thirty-two years 
• It takes an average of five years to start doing proper work
• They ultimately tell the President Congress, and The States what they may and may not do

History: 

• They started there work in 1801 in the unfinished Capitol
• John Marshal was the Chief Justice when the Supreme Court first struck down Congress for being unconstitutional, the case was the Famous Marbury v.s. Madison- This is what gave the U.S. Supreme Court the respect they needed by the public 
• 20 years later the was the biggest issue the Court had faced, a salve claiming their freedom under an act of congress- The Court claimed that Blacks could never be named citizens 
• This caused the Civil War, ending with Blacks earning rights and their citizenship 

Today: 

• The Supreme Court received about 7,000 cases a year, but very few are accepted 
• The Supreme Court only votes and reviews about 100 cases a year
• Mainly the Court reviews all the legal questions such as if the lower court has applied the law properly or if the law is constitutional.

Attorney: 

• They have to argue before nine judges
• You have 30 minutes to argue before the judges

Justices: 

• After a few days of hearing the case, the Justices gather to vote on the case 
• Once there is a decision a justice on the majority side is then assigned to write an opinion explaining the legal reasons for the decision- The option then binds all other courts as they decide future cases 
• Along with the majority opinion, and justice can also write a separate dissenting opinion
• A written legal opinions draft normally takes about four weeks then sent out to all nine justices 
•  Revisions of this draft may go on for months as the other justices give their opinion on the draft 
• The Supreme Courts tradition is to announce decisions and announce opinion by the end of the term in late June 

Sources: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWRoXYRsaeo&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca8qSuWxcG8&feature=youtu.be