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The Supreme Court. Composition, Caseload and Current Issues. Supreme Court Selections. Nominee is given to Senate Judiciary Committee. Nominee grilled by Senate Judiciary Nominee testifies before committee Senate Judiciary approves or rejects the nominee
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The Supreme Court Composition, Caseload and Current Issues
Supreme Court Selections • Nominee is given to Senate Judiciary Committee. • Nominee grilled by Senate Judiciary • Nominee testifies before committee • Senate Judiciary approves or rejects the nominee • Nominations that are approved by Senate Judiciary, will go to full Senate vote - can be filibustered • *What is the check on the power of the Supreme Court taking place here? • *By what branch/branches?
Checks on Judicial Branch • Presidential nominees must be approved by Senate (only 29 have been rejected out of 147.) • Judges can be impeached • Number and jurisdiction of courts determined by Congress • Amendments to Constitution and new laws can overrule previous court decisions
Current Members • Chief Justice: John Roberts (C) • Liberal Justices: Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader-Ginsberg Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer • Conservative Justices: Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito.
Supreme Court Composition • 9 Judges • Called “justices” • Currently on 15th Chief Justice • Court only hears about 70 cases a year, only 1-2% of cases reach them • Concurring Opinion (Majority) and Dissenting (Minority) view written.
Bush Appointees • Samuel Alito • Chief Justice John Roberts
Obama’s Appointees • Sotomayor- First Hispanic Justice. • Promoted from 2nd Circuit Appeals Court. • Kagan- Another female appointee • Promoted from Solicitor General
Over the Years- what’s defined • National Supremacy and Slavery (1789-1861) • Marbury v. Madison • Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) • Government and the Economy (1865-1936) • Protection of private property • Labor Laws • Government and Political Liberty (1953-1969) • Civil Rights Movement
Deciding what to hear • Cornell University’s Supreme Court Calendar • Writ of Certiorari • Court asks to be sent all relevant material on a case from a lower court • “Discuss List” – clerks identify cases worth of court review • Rule of Four – if 4 justices vote to accept the case, the court will do so • Per Curiam Opinion – brief, unsigned statement of the courts decision • Issued without full review, oral argument, etc.
