Your Supreme Court

Congress’s role in selecting a Supreme Court justice… The president’s nominee must answer questions in front of a Senate committee and it is televised on C-Span. The entire Senate votes to either approve or reject the nominee.

Your 2015 Supreme Court Justices…

Antonin Scalia Anthony Kennedy Ronald Reagan

Clarence Thomas Stephen Breyer George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Samuel Alito, Jr. Bill ClintonGeorge W. Bush

Elena Kagan Sonia Sotomayor Barack Obama

Chief Justice - John Roberts George W. Bush

How they select the cases they hear.

1. Work begins the first Monday in October and goes for 9 months 2. Each justice has 4 law clerks to help them. 3. Cver 7,000 requests each year from lower courts to “please look at my case” 4. The justices shorten that list 5. The justices usually select 75 to 85 cases. 6. The justices pick cases that have national Importance or would affect the average American

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.

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.

This is the room where attorneys argue their case to the 9 Justices. Visitors are welcome

After the 9 justices “hear” both sides of a case, they discuss it. Sometimes they meet in person, but more often, they exchange s.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In May, the justices STOP hearing new cases. They finish their work in June and leave for the summer, to return in October for another year’s worth of work.

Decisions made in 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.

Representation in the Congress Congressional boundaries The court found that voter-approved independent commissions have the authority to redraw congressional boundaries

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.

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.

Fill in the Federal Court system

map of Federal District Courts

The U.S. also has 50 state courts This is the Washington State Court system

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 less Small Claims