Supreme Court Reflection

The US Supreme Court

While viewing the Supreme Court videos, I learned several different factors. I learned that the Supreme Court receives about 7,000 new cases yearly. Approximately, 100 are accepted for yearly review. I also learned how the cases are chosen, reviewed, and decided. There is the initial petition, the vote by four out of the nine Justices, and the oral arguments. I also thought that a petition had to come directly from an attorney, but could in fact be written by any individual, even a prisoner themselves.

The most important takeaway I got was that Regardless of which President nominates the Justice and is confirmed by the Senate, once a Justice holds office, they are free from political pressure on how they decide cases. They do not have to be reelected, and there is no limit on how long they can serve.  Also, Justices do not choose the issues, the issues are brought to them based on the petitions received so it minimizes personal political agendas. Although the Justices may disagree, every meeting is started by shaking hands to demonstrate the level of respect they hold for each other and an understanding that despite their views, they have one unified goal which is to uphold the U.S. Constitution. 

One surprising thing I learned was that each justice has its own workload. Once voting is done on whether a petition will precede, the nine Justices typically take a few days to hear arguments. This is done amongst the nine Justices openly with no other involvement. Not even a recording secretary. Only one of the Justices on the majority side will write the opinion which can take about a month. Although only one Justice writes the opinion, the other Justices can respond whether they agree or disagree. Once the petition is decided to be heard in front of the nine Justices, only 30 minutes are allotted to present the oral argument. That time is typically used to further answer questions the Justices may have after reviewing the petition which they feel requires further clarification. Based on the level of importance that is placed upon the Supreme Court hearing a case, I found it interesting how the entire process works from beginning to end. I have a better understanding of why it can take such a long time. Also, an important view that changed for me was the reminder that regardless of which political party nominated them, once a Justice is in place, their responsibility is to uphold the constitution and not to a particular political party. The process is open and not secret. Once an opinion is released, it is given to journalists who report on it.  The Public's perception when the Supreme Court doesn’t take its case is often reported as the Supreme Court upheld or ordered which is not accurate.