The Supreme Court
United States Supreme Court Building at night in Washington, DC by Orhan Cam (Shutterstock)
Throughout the majority United States History, there have been three branches of government. Those three branches control the United States governmental affairs. If you didn't already know, those three branches are called the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. The Executive Branch is led by the President and the Legislative is run by Congress. In this blogpost, I will primarily be focusing on the Judicial Branch, which is overseen by the Supreme Court and its nine judges.
Most people may understand the Supreme Court (established in 1789) as those in the government who make decisions and laws. While this is true, it is not the only process the judges in the Supreme Court have to go through. The Supreme Court judges have to look through laws and decisions made by the government to see if they follow the constitution or represent the beliefs that the United States as a whole stand by. As soon as the Supreme Court comes to a decision on a case, every court has to stand by that ruling. This is called "Stare Decisis". The term Stare Decisis is Latin, and it means "to stand by things decided". Due to this idea, smaller district and state courts can't try the cases that go through the Supreme Court. Once the Supreme Court comes to a decision, it is final. The only way decisions previously made can be overturned in the Supreme Court is if the law goes through another round of due process.
Yearly, there are at least 7,000 cases that the Supreme Court considers. Out of those 7,000+ cases, around 100 are taken in and considered. It is a tedious process to get a law or bill pushed through the Supreme Courts System.
A big part of being a Supreme Court Justice is opinion writing. This is the most time-consuming part of the job as well as one of the most important. It is often done to bring the minority side of the argument to the majority side of the argument. Sometimes it may even bring the majority side to the minority side. It is one of the most strenuous processes in making a decision in the Supreme Court. Though without it, the judges may never come to an agreement.
The Supreme Court October 27, 2020-June 30, 2022 (www.supremecourt.gov)
The judges in the Supreme Court are not elected to office like members of Congress or the President. They are appointed by the President of the United States, where they are then referred to the Senate so their acceptance as a judge can be decided. In total, there have been 116 judges who have served on the US Supreme Court.
Through the years, the court has undergone many rounds of public approval and public disapproval. One of the cases that had reversed the public opinion of the Supreme Court negatively is the 1857 Dred Scott Case where it was decided that a free black man in a free state was not entitled to his freedom. So, depending on a case, it could turn the public in favor or against the Judicial Branch.
Although the Supreme Court is often overshadowed by the other two branches, it is just as important in the foundation of the United States government as it follows the United States Constitution to a tee. Making the Supreme Court the most powerful judicial body on Earth.
Sources:
Orhan Cam, United States Supreme Court Building at night in Washington, DC, Shutterstock
Cornell Law School, Stare Decisis Definition
List of Supreme Court Justices, Wikipedia
Berman, Dan, CNN
Supreme Court Justices
Comm3390 Supreme Court, Pt. 1, YouTube
Comm3390 Supreme Court, Pt. 2, YouTube
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