Difference between revisions of "Supreme Court of the United States"
m (Reverted edits by Jesuslover314 (Talk); changed back to last version by Mathers) |
|||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
Justices that disagree with the Court's action can and frequently do write [[dissenting opinion|dissenting opinions]], which state their objections to the ruling. When a Justice agrees with an action, but not the reasoning behind it, they may write a concurring opinion, which state the reasoning they would have used. | Justices that disagree with the Court's action can and frequently do write [[dissenting opinion|dissenting opinions]], which state their objections to the ruling. When a Justice agrees with an action, but not the reasoning behind it, they may write a concurring opinion, which state the reasoning they would have used. | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
==Current members== | ==Current members== | ||
[[Image:SCOTUS.jpg|The Supreme Court of the United States, 2007]] | [[Image:SCOTUS.jpg|The Supreme Court of the United States, 2007]] | ||
Revision as of 20:37, November 16, 2007
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court of the judiciary of the United States of America.
Structure
The Court is composed of eight Associate Justices and one Chief Justice. To assist them there are many clerks, guards, and staff. Cases are heard en banc whenever the Court is in session. Historians generally divide Court history into eras named after the Chief Justice then presiding (e.g. the Rehnquist Court).
Justices are appointed by the U.S. President with the advice and approval of the U.S. Senate. Justices must be approved by a majority of the Senate.
A list of pending cases to be heard on their merits by the Supreme Court, also known as petitions for which certiorari has been granted, is available on its website.[1] For a list of petitions granted and to be heard in fall 2007, see 2007 Cert. Granted.
Opinions
Prior to the Marshall Court, the Court issued opinions in seratim. This means that each Justice wrote their own opinion and delivered it from the bench. Currently, the Court issues one opinion, said to be The opinion of the Court. Opinions tend to have the history of the case, followed by the Court's reasoning and action. Generally the opinion will be written by a member of the majority, chosen by either the Chief Justice or the most senior Justice in the majority.
When a majority of Justices agree to the opinion, it is called the majority opinion. Occasionally, a majority of Justices agree to the remedy, yet a minority of Justices agree with the main opinion. This is called a plurality opinion.
Justices that disagree with the Court's action can and frequently do write dissenting opinions, which state their objections to the ruling. When a Justice agrees with an action, but not the reasoning behind it, they may write a concurring opinion, which state the reasoning they would have used.
Current members
| Name | Date of Accession | Appointed by | Title | General ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Paul Stevens | December 19, 1975 | Gerald Ford | Associate Justice | liberal |
| Antonin Scalia | September 26, 1986 | Ronald Reagan | Associate Justice | conservative |
| Anthony Kennedy | February 18, 1988 | Ronald Reagan | Associate Justice | moderate/swing |
| David Souter | October 9, 1990 | George H. W. Bush | Associate Justice | liberal |
| Clarence Thomas | October 23, 1991 | George H. W. Bush | Associate Justice | conservative |
| Ruth Bader Ginsburg | August 10, 1993 | Bill Clinton | Associate Justice | liberal |
| Stephen Breyer | August 3, 1994 | Bill Clinton | Associate Justice | liberal |
| John Roberts | September 29, 2005 | George W. Bush | Chief Justice | conservative |
| Samuel Alito | January 31, 2006 | George W. Bush | Associate Justice | conservative |