The Judicial Branch

1
The Judicial Branch
2
Federal Court Structure

• The least dangerous branch (Hamilton)
• Judiciary Act of 1789 (District Courts, Appellate
  Courts, and Supreme Court)
• Hierarchical jurisdiction (original and
  appellate)
• Marbury vs. Madison
• (1803) and judicial review

3
Judicial Appointments

• Presidential nominations
• Senate confirmation hearings

4
Supreme Court and Appellate Jurisdiction

• Writ of Certiorari
• New federal questions
• Inconsistent rulings between appellate courts
• Discretion (habeas corpus)
• Decisions conflicting with precedent

5
Supreme Court and Original Jurisdiction

• Cases between U.S. states
• U.S. states and foreign countries
• The U.S in cases against states

6
The Supreme Court

• Chief Justice
• Associate Justices
• Permanent staff and law clerks
• The Solicitor General

7
Supreme Court Decision-making

• The rule of four (justiceability, controversy,
  standing, mootness)
• Amicus Curiae (legal briefs considered)
• Oral Arguments
• Conferences
• Opinion writing (majority and concurring
  opinions, dissents)
• Affirm (stare decisis), reverse, or remand lower
  court decisions

8
Political Checks on the Court

• Lack of enforcement power
• Impeachment
• Structural changes by Congress
• Confirmation
• Historical legacies

9
Court Dynamics

• Judicial restraint
• stick to original written intent
• of founders
• defer to Congress to make new laws
• Judicial activism
• how to interpret the original
• intent of founders?
• Constitution viewed as a
• living document