The Supreme Court-How it Works

The Supreme Court is the most powerful court in the United States. It was set up by the founding fathers of the United States in the third article of the Constitution.

 The court is made up of nine members, called justices. There is one chief justice and eight associate justices. They are appointed by the president and can serve on the Supreme Court their whole lives. A justice can only be dismissed if they do something wrong or illegal. Each justice must be approved by the Senate before they take office.

 The Supreme Court guards and defends the American constitution. It decides legal cases that arise between citizens, states and the federal government. In most cases the Supreme Court hears cases that have already been decided before a lower court. When someone who has lost a case thinks that the decision is wrong, he or she can appeal to higher courts. The highest court of appeal is the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, however, cannot deal with all the cases that are brought to it. Each year it hears about 250 cases, only choosing the ones that the justices think are most important.

 When the Supreme Court hears a case both parties have the chance to bring their arguments before the justices, who may then ask questions. Parties can also present written papers that show their opinion. There are no witnesses at such a hearing and there is no jury allowed.

 At the end of the hearing the justices vote on the case. They must reach a decision by majority vote. Then a justice is chosen to write down the opinion of what most justices think. In many cases not all justices have the same opinion on a topic.

When the Supreme Court decides something it is final. All the other courts in the country must decide an issue in the same way. A Supreme Court ruling can be turned around in two ways. Sometimes the members of Congress amend the constitution, or the Supreme Court itself may later on decide differently in a similar case.

 For example, in 1895 the Supreme Court ruled that the government was not allowed to collect taxes from its citizens. Two decades later Congress passed the 16th Amendment, which gave the government the right to collect money from the people.

In another issue the Supreme Court changed its view on what it thought about how blacks and whites should live together. In 1896 it decided that blacks and whites should have separate public places, like schools, bus stops etc... In 1954 the court ruled that sending blacks and whites to different schools was against the constitution.

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Minn Legislator's "Uncle Tom" Tweet

Shades of Paula Deen reflects itself in a MN Legislator's recent "Uncle Tom" tweet.

A Democratic legislator from Minnesota swiftly apologized Tuesday for a tweet he sent that referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as “Uncle Thomas” following a major ruling on the nation’s landmark voting rights law.

Thomas, who is black, was part of a 5-4 majority that invalidated part of the Voting Rights Act meant to deter racial discrimination in elections. The ruling makes it tougher for federal officials to prevent states and localities, primarily in the South, from adopting policies that add barriers to voting.

In response, state Rep. Ryan Winkler tweeted: “#SCOTUS VRA majority is four accomplices to race discrimination and one Uncle Thomas. Marriage decision may blur Court’s backsliding.”

“Uncle Tom” is a connotation to describe someone subservient to another and has its roots in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s pre-Civil War novel about slavery, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The latter part of the tweet refers to the high court’s expected decision on gay marriage.

Winkler, who is white, deleted the tweet and told followers in his feed that he didn’t understand the phrase to be a racist term. He later told The Associated Press that he was trying to make a point about institutional racism resulting from the ruling.

“I used a term that was too hot for the issue, but I didn’t intend for it to be derogatory,” said Winkler, who holds a history degree from Harvard.

Chris Fields, secretary of the Minnesota Republican Party, said Winkler’s comments were “beyond the pale” and his apology wasn’t enough. “If he had any personal integrity, he’d resign,” said Fields, who is black.

Winkler, of Golden Valley, had been weighing a run for Minnesota secretary of state, whose office oversees elections. He said he ruled that out several days ago but hadn’t announced it.

The four-term lawmaker represents a district that covers western Minneapolis suburbs and is an attorney. He is known for rhetorical clashes with Republicans while on the House floor and on Twitter.

It should be noted that Justice Clarence Thomas did something at a Supreme Court argument Monday for the first time in nearly seven years — he spoke. Thomas hasn’t asked a question in court since February 22, 2006.

Source: The Associated Press; The Grio

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The Invisible Supreme Court

The Roberts Court

You might assume that American citizens know something about the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), considering the recent coverage of the hearings on the Affordable Care Act and Citizens United decision. Well, you'd be wrong.

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