Friday March 6, 2015

Agenda Homework

O Pass out and Go Over Yesterday’s Notes (6th and 7th Period)

O ReviewO Supreme Court

NotesO Engrade

Civics and Economics Day

114

Jury Members People who are 18

years or older who are registered voters or have drivers licenses.

Cannot be a felon, mentally or physically incompetent and must be able to understand English.

You receive $12 for the first day, $20 for days two-five and $40 a day for after the first 5 days.

You with a group of 11 other people decide the guilt or innocence of a person.

United States Level of Courts

District (94 courts)

Appellate (13)

Supreme (1)

Almost all cases start in the

District Court!

If you forget the order Mr. Neanover will be S.A.D

US District Court Judges

They have tenure- job for life

They hear federal criminal and civil cases first.

Salary: $174,000

Appellate Court Judges Yearly Salary

$184,500 They review decisions

made in lower district courts.

Have appellate jurisdiction.

Power to rule on whether the defendant’s rights were protected or whether he or she received a fair trial.

We are the 4th Circuit.

Supreme Court Justices

$213900 Associate Justices

$223,500 US Supreme Court Chief Justice

Only 9 Justices. New openings happen due to resignation or death of a justice.

Have always been lawyers.

Supreme Court Notes

Vocabulary O Precedent- a model upon which to

base a decision on a similar case

O Opinion- a detailed explanation of the legal thinking behind a courts decision.

O Tenure-Having a job for life, meaning you retire or die.

Qualifications of Judges

ONo particular qualifications!?

OBut Presidents usually appoint judges who share their ideas about politics and justice.

OApproved by the Senate.

Supreme Court Organization

• There are 9 Justices– 1 Chief– 8 Associate– Congress has the power

to change this• Duties

– Hear and rule on cases.– Write a written

explanation for the decision called an Opinion.

• The President appoints the Supreme Court Justices when one retires or dies.

Supreme Court Powers• The other branches

must follow the Supreme Courts rulings.

• Judicial Review–Power to review any federal, state, or local law to determine if it is constitutional (Follows the constitution).

Marbury v. Madison• 1803 court case that

established the Supreme Court had the power to decide whether laws were constitutional.

• Judicial Review established that:– Constitution is supreme

law of the land– If a law contradicts the

constitution, constitution wins.

– Judicial Branch should uphold the constitution.

Limits• Supreme Court needs the

executive branch to enforce decisions.– Andrew Jackson did not do

this in Worcester v. Georgia.

– Congress can always make new laws to get around it.

• Court can only hear and make rulings on cases that come to it.

• Only accepts questions that involve a federal question.

Who are the Supreme Court Justices?

Back row (left to right): Sonia

Sotomayor, Stephen G.

Breyer, Samuel A. Alito, and

Elena Kagan. Front row

(left to right): Clarence Thomas,

Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice

John G. Roberts, Anthony

Kennedy, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

How do the People on the Supreme Court Lean

politically?OLiberalOSonia Sotomayor

ORuth Bader Ginsburg

OElena KaganOStephen Breyer

• Conservatives–Anthony Kennedy (Swing)

–Clarence Thomas–(Chief Justice) John Roberts

–Antonin Scalia–Samuel Alito

Median Retirement Age 78.7

Antonin Scalia3/11/1936

Age: 76 yr 7 moRonald Reagan

9/26/1986Served: 26 yr 1 mo

Anthony Kennedy7/23/1936

Age: 76 yr 3 moRonald Reagan

2/18/1988Served: 24 yr 8 mo

Clarence Thomas6/23/1948

Age: 64 yr 4 moGeorge H. W. Bush

10/23/1991Served: 21 yr 0 mo

Ruth Bader Ginsburg3/15/1933

Age: 79 yr 7 moBill Clinton

8/19/1993Served: 19 yr 2 mo

Stephen Breyer8/15/1938

Age: 74 yr 2 moBill Clinton

8/3/1994Served: 18 yr 2 mo

John G. Roberts1/27/1955

Age: 57 yr 9 moGeorge W. Bush

9/29/2005Served: 7 yr 1 mo

Samuel A. Alito, Jr.4/1/1950

Age: 62 yr 7 moGeorge W. Bush

1/31/2006Served: 6 yr 9 mo

Sonia Sotomayor6/25/1954

Age: 58 yr 4 moBarack Obama

8/8/2009Served: 3 yr 2 mo

Elena Kagan4/28/1960

Age: 52 yr 6 moBarack Obama

8/7/2010Served: 2 yr 2 mo

Check Engrade for missing Assignments