Supreme Court Cases

-Highest Court in the Nation

-All Decisions are Final

-Usually Appellate Jurisdiction Only

-Only hears about 150 of thousandsof appeals

Court’s Power-Constitution is the Highest Law

-Constitution is the Supreme Law whenthere is a conflict with other laws

-Court is responsible for upholding theConstitution

-Judicial Review

Power of the Supreme Court toexamine a law and determine itsconstitutionality

-Limiting the Court’s Power

-Constitutional Amendments

-Selection of Judges

Supreme Court Justices

-made up of 9 justices

-1 is Chief Justice

-8 Associate Justices

-no official requirements

all have been lawyers

-appointed by the President w/Senate approval

-appointed to a life term

-very important appointment process

Supreme Court Justices

-made up of 9 justices

-1 is Chief Justice

-8 Associate Justices

-no official requirements

all have been lawyers

-appointed by the President w/Senate approval

-appointed to a life term

-very important appointment process

Supreme Court Justices

-made up of 9 justices

-1 is Chief Justice

-8 Associate Justices

-no official requirements

all have been lawyers

-appointed by the President w/Senate approval

-appointed to a life term

-very important appointment process

Court at Work-In session from Oct to June/July

each year

-Each month follows a pattern

-1st 2 weeks the court hears cases,make announcements, and discusscurrent cases

-2nd 2 weeks the justices are writingopinions, deciding what cases tohear, and researching cases

Which Cases?

-Justices discuss and must agree onthe merits of a case for it to beheard

-Only hears certain kinds of cases

-Usually hears just appellate cases

Court Decisions-Justices discuss cases with each other

-Make one of three decisions

Uphold

Overturn

Remand

-Each decision is accompanied with awritten opinion explaining the lawabout the case

-Majority Opinion--the writtendecision of the justices on the winningside

-Concurrent Opinion-- the writtenopinion of a justice who agrees withthe majority but may have slightlydifferent reasons

-Dissenting Opinion-- the writtenopinions of a justice who disagreedwith the majority