The Supreme Court Flashcards
How many cases are submitted to the Supreme Court every year
8,000 cases
how many cases are actually heard each year?
about 100
What is the “Rule of Four”
The rule of four is a Supreme Court of the United States practice that permits four of the nine justices to grant a writ of certiorari. This is done specifically to prevent a majority of the Court from controlling the Court’s docket.
how many clerks do each justice get
they each get three clerks
what is the procedure like at the Supreme Court when a case is heard
the justices here each side of the case and ask question to clear anything up. They dismiss everyone and spend months writing and deciding what they think on the case and then vote.
Names of the Justices
elena kagan sonia sotomayor Samuel Alito John G Roberts Stephen Breyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg Anthony Kennedy Antonin Scalia
What are the Constitutional Qualifications for being a Justice
The Constitution does not specify qualifications for Justices such as age, education, profession, or native-born citizenship. A Justice does not have to be a lawyer or a law school graduate, but all Justices have been trained in the law.
Who is the Chief Justice and what special duties does this person get
The Chief Justice at this moment is John G. Roberts Jr.
His main duties are impeachment trials, seniority, and oath of office for the president of the USA, he votes in all of the cases that are heard.
Majority
The majority is the ruling of the Supreme Court with more than half of the people on their side.
Dissenting
Ruling of the Supreme Court that has between 1-4 people on there side
( minority opinion ) or disagreeing with the majority opinions
Concurring
When a justice(s) agree with the majority but have different reasons based on that decision
How do law clerks help decide which cases are going to be heard?
They read though them and show the most interesting ones to the justices
How many supreme courts are there?
50, each state has a Supreme Court
How many federal supreme courts are there
1
What are the cases in a federal court ( hint: there are 8)
- ) a crime on federal property
- )a crime against federal employees
- )a crime or dispute involving foreign visitors
- ) a crime against ambassadors
- )crimes committed in the air ( on an airplane )
- )disputes between states
- ) A dispute involving the meaning of the constitution
- ) disputes involving US citizens or states and foreign nations or citizenship
