Post on 14-Feb-2016
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The Judicial Branch US History: Spiconardi
The Supreme Court
• Final authority in the federal court system
• Comprised of 1 chief justice and 8 associate justices (originally 1 & 5)– Number can change via
congressional legislation
The Justices•Roberts, Chief Justice (R)
•Breyer (D)
•Thomas (R)
•Bader Ginsburg (D)
•Alito (R)
•Kennedy (R)
•Stevens (D)
•Scalia (R)
•Souter (D)
* Appointed by President * Confirmed by Senate * Lifetime Term
How do cases reach the Supreme Court?
• Original Jurisdiction– Cases
involving foreign ambassadors or disputes among states
• Appellate Jurisdiction– In a lower
court, if the losing side believes a judge made a mistake in applying the law in a case, that case may be appealed to a higher court.
vs.
• Between 5,000 & 7,000 cases are appealed to the Supreme Court every year
•Only 150 are heard
•Clerks review cases
•Pass on to Justices
•4 justices must agree to review the case
•Cases heard Mondays, Tuesdays, & Wednesdays from October to June
Judicial Review
• Role of Judicial Branch is not described in much detail in the Constitution
• Considered the weakest of the three branches until 1803
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Judicial Review
• Marbury v. MadisonMarbury v. Madison– Establishes the principal of
judicial review– Judicial reviewJudicial review enables the
Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of laws and strike down those that are unconstitutional
Federal Courts: District Courts
• Criminal– Federal laws only
• Kidnapping across state lines
• Drug transporting
• Mail fraud• Tax evasion• Counterfeiting $
• Civil– Claims against
the federal government
– Constitutional rights
• (i.e. free speech)
Federal Courts: Appellate Courts• Considers court decisions
in which the losing side has asked for a review of the verdict– Can overturn a verdict– Order a retrial