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Your Supreme Court
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Congress’s role in selecting a Supreme Court justice…
The president’s nominee must answer questions in front of a Senate committeeand it is televised on C-Span.
The entire Senate votes to either approve or
reject the nominee.
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Your 2015 Supreme Court
Justices…
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Antonin Scalia Anthony Kennedy
Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan
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Clarence Thomas Stephen Breyer
George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg Samuel Alito, Jr.
Bill Clinton George W. Bush
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Elena Kagan Sonia Sotomayor
Barack Obama Barack Obama
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Chief Justice - John Roberts
George W. Bush
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How they select the cases they hear.
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1. Work begins the first Monday in October andgoes for 9 months
2. Each justice has 4 law clerks to help them.
3. Cver 7,000 requestseach year from lower courts to “please look at my case”
4. The justices shortenthat list
5. The justices usuallyselect 75 to 85 cases.
6. The justices pick casesthat have nationalImportance or wouldaffect the average American
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In October, the justices discuss potential cases in this
room…then they vote out loud, one at a time by
seniority, on the final set of cases they will accept.
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5 to 10 cases are heard each month
Attorneys go to the U.S. Supreme Court building to argue their side of the case.
Each attorney get 30 minutes to make their “case” in front of the 9 justices. The justices ask questions.
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This is the
room
where
attorneys
argue their
case to the
9 Justices.
Visitors are
welcome
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After the 9 justices “hear” both sides of a case, they discuss it .
Sometimes they meet in person, but more often, they exchange emails.
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After all 9 justices vote on a case,
the “MAJORITY” is the winning side
The most senior justice of the “winning”
side is assigned the task of writing the
MAJORITY OPINION .
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All the justices who voted in the majority read this opinion and agree on
the explanation
when those justices don’t agree with what is written
the writer has to re-write it.
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The side that loses is the “MINORITY”.
The most senior justice on the losing minority side has to write their explanation
all those justices have to agree or it has to be re-written.
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So…..
2 written opinions are given to the public for every case they decide….
MAJORITY & MINORITY
This way the court presents both sides of their arguments to the public.
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In May, the justices STOPhearing new cases.
They finish their work in June and leave for the summer, to return in October for
another year’s worth of work.
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Decisions made in 2014-15
• Death Penalty
•
• Lethal injection
The court ruled that the use of midazolam, a sedative linked to botched executions, may be used to carry out death sentences without
violating the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
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Representation in the Congress
Congressional boundaries
The court found that voter-approved independent commissions have the authority to redraw congressional boundaries
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Same-sex marriage The court declared that same-sex couples have a right to marry anywhere in the United States. The court's ruling means that 14 states in the South and Midwest will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage.
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HEALTH INSURANCE
The AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
On June 25, 2015, the Supreme Court held that tax credits authorized under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) are available to individuals who purchase
insurance through a federal exchange.
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Fill in the Federal Court system
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map of Federal District Courts
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The U.S. also has 50 state courts
This is the Washington State Court system
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WASHINGTON SUPREME COURT
COURT OF APPEALS
SUPERIOR COURT· Civil matters
· Domestic relations· Felony crimes
· Juvenile matters· Appeals from courts of limited jurisdiction
DISTRICT and MUNICIPAL COURTS· Misdemeanor crimes
· Traffic, non-traffic, and parking infractions· Domestic violence protection orders
· Civil actions of $50,000 or lessSmall Claims