Part Four: The Judicial Branch
Part Four: The Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court of the United States heads the judicial branch of the American government. The Court was created directly by Article III of the Constitution and entrusted with the judicial Power of the United States. It is headed by the chief justice of the United States and decides disputes among citizens and between citizens and their government.
In general, the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases in which a state or an ambassador is a party; it has appellate jurisdiction in other federal cases involving the various states or in which the United States is a party. In both civil and criminal laws, the United States Supreme Court is the ultimate court of appeal. All other remedies must be exhausted before petitioning the Court for appeal or review of a lower court decision. Cases originating in state courts can be appealed to the Supreme Court directly from state supreme courts; cases originating in federal courts must go through the United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals.
1. The Judicial Branch, which is one of the three branches of the government, is tasked with explaining and interpreting the laws of the land. It refers both to the courts of the country and to the body of judges.
2. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. Its ruling is the final decision on a case and it tries only the most important cases.
3. The Supreme Court has two types of authority:
- As an appellate court, it can overturn decisions made by lower courts.
- As the Supreme Court, it can declare a state or federal law unconstitutional.
4. Since 1869 the size of the Supreme Court has remained fixed at nine members - the chief justice who acts as the head judge and 8 associate justices. They serve for life or during good behavior.
5. The Justices are all chosen by the president with advice and consent of the Senate and have lifetime tenure.
6. The Court terms begin on the first Monday of October and usually last until the end of June.
7. William H. Rehnquist is currently the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was appointed to this position in 1986 by Pres. Ronald Reagan.
8. The eight other justices of the Supreme Court are:
- John Paul Stevens
- Sandra Day O'Connor
- Antonin Scalia
- Anthony M. Kennedy
- David H. Souter
- Clarence Thomas
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Stephen G. Breyer
9. The Supreme Court meets in the Supreme Court Building at Washington, D.C.
10. There are two different court systems in the United States - Federal Courts and State Courts.
- Federal Courts have jurisdiction in cases involving federal law and in controversies between citizens of different states.
- State Courts rule on cases of a local character and the bulk of judicial work is done in these courts.
11. In the United States, there are 51 separate court systems, one for each state and another for the federal government.
12. The Circuit Courts of Appeals are the second highest courts. There are 11 Circuit Courts in the United States. They hear appeals from lower courts, when people believe something was unjust about the decision of the lower court.
13. District Courts are the lowest level of federal courts. As of 1987, there were 94 courts in the United States. When a person is accused of breaking a federal law, he/she will be tried in a district court.
