United States Supreme Court Analysis

United States Supreme Court Analysis

″EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW″ – These words, written above the main entrance to the Supreme Court Building, express the ultimate responsibility of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court is the highest tribunal in the Nation for all cases and controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States. As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution. The Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and such number of Associate Justices as may be fixed by Congress. The number of Associate Justices is currently fixed at eight (28 U. S. C. §1). Power to nominate the Justices is vested in the President of the United States, and appointments are made with the advice and consent of the Senate. Established by the United States Constitution, the Supreme Court began to take shape with the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789 and has enjoyed a rich history since its first assembly in 1790. The Supreme Court is deeply tied to its traditions: Of the federal government’s three branches, the Court bears the closest resemblance to its original form – a 225 year old legacy. Preparation Activity Objectives This activity is designed to support the following Learning Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast the different court systems; state trial court, appellate court, state supreme court, U.S. District Court, U.S. Court of Appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Students will be able to research and document the structure, functions, roles and responsibilities of the United States Supreme Court. Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of landmark case decisions and the impact these decisions have on criminal procedure and related processes. Instructions Take a look at the videos below. The first video is about 5:00 minutes long and the other almost 4:00 minutes long, and they may be worth your while. The videos outline the U.S. Supreme Court′s process and how a justice is appointed. Watching these videos will help you get started with your writing project. In this assignment you will be preparing a well-written paper outlining the creation, limitations, members, qualifications, and the duties of an United States Supreme Court justice. The Constitution elaborated neither the exact powers and prerogatives of the Supreme Court nor the organization of the Judicial Branch as a whole. Thus, it was left to Congress and to the Justices of the Court through their decisions to develop the Federal Judiciary and a body of Federal law. The establishment of a Federal Judiciary was a high priority for the new government, and the first bill introduced in the United States Senate became the Judiciary Act of 1789. The act divided the country into 13 judicial districts, which were, in turn, organized into three circuits: the Eastern, Middle, and Southern. The Supreme Court, the country′s highest judicial tribunal, was to sit in the Nation′s Capital, and was initially composed of a Chief Justice and five Associate Justices. For the first 101 years of the Supreme Court’s life — but for a brief period in the early 1800′s — the Justices were also required to ″ride circuit,″ and hold circuit court twice a year in each judicial district. Requirements Your paper must provide at least one reference for your reference page (in this case the officer’s information). There will be no make-up if you do not turn it in. Your paper must provide at least two references from primary, validated sources of information. Wikipedia is not a reputable source of information. The paper should be at least three pages long (approximately 1,000-1,200 words), double spaced, #12 Arial or Times New Roman Font only, with a cover sheet and reference page. The cover sheet and the reference page do not count in the page total of three pages or word count. The paper must follow APA/MLA format. Your paper will be graded on content, grammar and spelling, organization and completeness. This paper must be prepared in Microsoft Word and submitted in a word doc file. Canvas also supports PDF and RTF files. If I am not able to open your paper, you will not receive a grade. You must follow APA/MLA Format and instructions given. You must have no more than 20% borrowed work. I check all assignments with VeriCite. Your paper will be graded on content, grammar and spelling, organization and completeness as indicated in the attached rubric.