Homework: OL 331-333 Tuesday

FrontPage: Would you support changing the life term of federal/Supreme Court justices?

Why/why not?

The Supreme CourtChapter 11, Section 3

About the CourtHow many

members?Jurisdiction…?Most cases come

from…?

Homework: OL 331-333 Tuesday

FrontPage: NNIGNThis insane looking cabinet (titled Good Vibrations) was hand-carved by Ferruccio Laviani and will reportedly be shown at the Salone Del Mobile expo in Milan in April. If you ever want furniture that convinces your brain it's a glitched-out cassette tape, here's your chance.You're probably wondering what this thing looks like from the side. Unfortunately the Fratelli Boffi design house hasn't released more images, but the foot of the cabinet sort of gives you a sense of what its flanks would look like:

Supreme Court Ideology

The decision in the ACA caseYES. Chief Justice Roberts, joined by Justices Ginsburg, Breyer,

Sotomayor, and Kagan, concluded that the Individual Mandate penalty is a tax for the purposes of the Constitution's Taxing and Spending Clause and is a valid exercise of Congressional authority. The payment is not so severe as to be coercive, is not limited to willful

violations like fines for unlawful acts, and is collected by the Internal Revenue Service by normal means.

Chief Justice Roberts, with Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito, concluded that the Individual Mandate was not a valid exercise of Congress' power to regulate commerce. The Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate existing commercial

activity, but not to compel individuals to participate in commerce. This would open a new realm of Congressional authority.

Decision: 5 votes for the requirement, and 4 vote(s) against

On the Supreme Court…Interviews with Supreme Court Justices

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUfl9-cwJt4

Alito on “the call”http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tme4DEwGL3U&feature=relmfu

• Sotomayor on “the call”

The Nomination & Confirmation ProcessWhat are the steps in the nomination/confirmation

process for the Supreme Court?“Short list”/Interviews?The official nominationWho contributes their “two cents”?Senate questionnaireSenate Judiciary hearingSenate vote to confirm

Kagan’s Confirmation Hearing – Day 2 http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCOlKIYqHs&feature=channel

Homework: OL 333 – 335 due Friday

FrontPage: Where do most Supreme Court cases come from?

"Do you ever have one of those days when everything seems unconstitutional?"

To Cert or not to cert…The Supreme Court receives thousands of petitions to hear

cases every year.Of those thousands, only about 80-100 are actually heard each

yearIf a party loses its case at the circuit level, it may choose to

petition the Supreme Court to review the decision: It is asking for a writ of certiorari;

The justices will get together in conference and discuss the petitions that the Chief Justice has placed on the discuss listOther justices may also put petitions on this list if they

believe they are in need of discussionMost cases are received by the issuance of a writ of certiorari;

known as a “cert”The court asks the lower court to send the record of the

case to the SC so that it can make a decision

Once a case is selected…3 options:

The court may decide to issue a per curiam opinion, if it knows how it will rule in the case – issues an unsigned general decision in the case

It may decide to hear the case – will put it on the docketVacate and Remand – send the case back down to the lower court

to be retried in light of new circumstancesThe Petitioner – the person who writes the petition for the writ of

certiorariThe Respondent – this is the person who won the case in the lower court

The SC justices do not have time to review all of these petitions; their clerks will read them, and make suggestions about which are the most important

**What would be some good reasons for the acceptance of a case by the Supreme Court