U.S Supreme Court

 

The Supreme Court is the highest Judicial level in America, in charge of cases questioning previous rulings of the lower courts, and regulating congressional and executive power. Today, the Supreme Court is well-respected by the public, however, it wasn't always viewed Fairley.

In 1801, the government moved to Washington, and the Supreme Court took temporary quarters in the unfinished Capitol. At the time, John Marshall, a young Virginia lawyer was appointed Chief Justice. Under Marshall's charge, the court was asserted for the first time, the greatest of all judicial power, and strike down an act of Congress unconstitutional. The court made the Constitution the heart of nation-building and finally gained the publics' respect as a co-equal branch.in 1846, the Supreme Court would face one of their hardest trials yet, when a Missouri slave by the name of Dred Scott claimed his freedom under an act of Congress.

Chief  Justice Roger Brooke Toney, ruled that Congress had no power to ban slavery in any state, denying blacks citizenship rights. After the Civil War ended in 1865, slavery was abolished, slaves were given citizenship and voting rights. The 14th amendment was passed in 1866, putting in place equal protection of the law to any citizen.

 Today, the Supreme Court receives about 100 cases a week, and roughly 7,000 cases annually. Only about 100 cases are accepted each year due to the extensive time put into each case. When a case arrives, the facts have already been established in a trial court that considers whether or not the lower court applied the law properly and if it is constitutional. The Justices meet weekly to decide on which cases the court will accept and vote on any cases that have already been argued. Supreme Court cases are public, lawyers from each side are given thirty minutes each to argue their case in front of the court.

After a few days of the hearing, the Justices gather in their Conference room to vote on the case alone. After they all come to a final decision, one Justice from the majority side writes an opinion letter explaining the legal reasoning for their decision. The first draft can take up to four weeks, after it is complete it is then sent to all nine Justices for confirmation. The process to create a final draft can take upwards to three months, and is then announced to the public information officer who then releases it to the press for copies.