Brought to you by the Supreme Court
“Clear and Present Danger”
“Substantial Disruption”
“Undue burden”
“trimester verdict”
“reasonable suspicion”
“exclusionary rule”
“executive privilege”
Citizens United
“Bong Hits for Jesus”
The United States Supreme Court
Ruth Ginsberg
1993
Chief JusticeJohn
Roberts2005
Clarence Thomas
1991
Anthony Kennedy
1988
AntoninScalia1986
Samuel Alito2005
Stephen Breyer1994
SonyaSotomayor
2009
Elena Kagan2010
Court makeup 9 Justices total.
• 8 Associate Justices• 1 Chief Justice
Term: Life Pay
• Justices each make $213,900. Chief makes $223, 500.
Appointed• by President, approved by Senate
Judicial Review In ruling the Judiciary Act of 1789
unconstitutional in 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall established judicial review.
The Supreme Court proclaimed the power to declare acts of Congress (and others) unconstitutional thus empowering
the Judicial Branch.
Jurisdiction Original: heard first in a particular court
• Ex: government officials, two states Appellate: heard on appeal from a lower
court• Ex: can uphold, overrule, or modify
Exclusive: heard only in federal courts• Ex: ambassador, foreign official, federal crime
Concurrent: shared power between federal and state courts• Ex: citizens from different states
Authority to hear a case
Ways to the Court: Writ of Certiorari
Order by the Supreme Court directing a lower court to send up the record in a given case.
Latin for “to be made more certain”
Ways to the Court: Certificate A lower court has
asked the Supreme Court for a ruling or clarification on a case.
Rule of four applies. Four of the justices must agree to hear the case.
Ways to the Court: Appeals High percentage
of all cases reach the court from lower court appeals.
State, Constitutional, and Special courts all feed the Supreme Court.
Proceedings Rule of Four: Four of the nine justices
must agree to hear a case.
Docket: The Supreme Court’s agenda.• The court receives over 10,000 cases for
review.
Proceedings: Briefs/O.A. Briefs
• Written statements from attorneys describing their arguments in the case.
• Amicus Curiae: Means “friend of the court” Briefs allowed for submission by outsiders. ie.
Organizations/Special Interests
Oral Arguments• 30 minutes for each side. Interrupted by
questioning from the justices.
Decisions Majority Opinion
• Decided by the chief justice, it is the official ruling of the court.
Dissenting Opinion• Opinion of the justices that
disagree with ruling
Concurring Opinion• Justices that agree, but upon
different grounds or reasons