the federal court system… jurisdiction original jurisdiction appellate jurisdiction concurrent...
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THE Federal Court System…• Jurisdiction• Original
jurisdiction• Appellate
jurisdiction• Concurrent
jurisdiction• Constitutional
courts• District courts• Courts of Appeals• Legislative courts
WHO HEARS THE CASE?...jurisdiction
• Federal law• Treaties• Interpretation of the
ConstitutionSupreme Court
5th Circuit Ct of Appeals
Dallas Lower Federal Court
STRUCTURE – Judiciary Act 1789
Constitutional• Article III• Fed courts• Supreme Court• District courts 80%• Courts of Appeals• Ct of App for 5th Cir• US ct of Int’l Trade
Legislative• special/narrow• Territorial cts• US Tax Court• US Ct of Appeals for
the Armed Forces • Cases fr Article I
Judiciary Act of 1789 94 district courts (Ec state has 1)13 cts of appeal (1891)
94
Your book has it listed at 91…we have added 3 since printing!!!
http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/UnderstandingtheFederalCourts/CourtofAppeals.aspx
Only court established by the Constitution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3/26/2012
Chief RobertsBush 2005 (57)
KennedyReagan 1988(75)
GinsbergClinton 1993(79)
Scalia!!!!***Reagan 1986(76)
ThomasBush Sr 1991(63)
SotomayorObama 2009 (57)
BreyerClinton 1994 (73)
AlitoBush 2006 (62) Kagan
Obama 2010 (51)
Obama 2Clinton 2Bush Sr 1Bush Jr 2Reagan 2
HIGHEST COURT IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEMORIGINAL & APPELLATE JURISDICTIONSTRONG IMPACT ON SOCIAL, ECON, & POLITICALSIZE SET BY CONGRESS IN 1869NOMINATED BY POTUS / CONFIRMED BY SENATE
Politics of Judicial Selection• Senate MUST confirm by majority
vote “during good behavior” – for life!
• Senatorial Courtesy• POTUS fails 20% of time • CONGRESS sets size • (9 in 1869 = same today)
52-48
52-48
Backgrounds…5-4 (R)• Lawyers, white men (6)• >90% same party• “pack the courts”• 1st Mon in Oct – July• Rule of Four
POTUSJohnson
POTUSReagan
PartyPhilosophyRaceGenderReligionRegionExperience“Litmus test”Acceptability: ABA, IGs, & other justices
O’Connor (1981)Ret @ 76 (2006)
Marshall (1967)Ret @ 83 (1991)Died 1993
Which cases?
• RULE OF FOURFew hundred are heardMost denied
• BRIEF ORDERSReturned to lower courtRecently related case
• WRIT OF CERTIORARISup Ct orders a lower court to send up the records of a case for review; interpret law OR decide a Constitutional question
• CERTIFICATELower court may ask the Sup Ct about a rule of law or procedures in specific cases
#7C & #7D
1. Briefs & Oral Arguments2. Research & Conferences3. Writing Opinions
• BRIEF• AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF• LAW CLERKS• PRIVATE MEETINGS• INFORMAL POLL• WRITTEN DECISION…
OPINIONS1. MAJORITY OPINION:
Chief Justice selects who will write
2. CONCURRING OPINION3. DISSENTING OPINION:
Most senior justice of majority selects who writes if Chief is with the minority opinion.
4. PRECEDENTS: standards/guides to be followed in similar cases in the future
Courts as Policy Makers• WARREN COURT (1953-1969) – most liberal court ever
Brown v Board (1954)Gideon v Wainwright (1963) (attorney)Miranda v AZ (1966) (rights)
• BURGER COURT (1969-1986) – conservative ideology
Roe v Wade (1973)US v Nixon (1974) (EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE)Regents of CA v Bakke (1978) (quotas, but kept affirmative action)
Courts as Policy Makers• REHNQUIST & ROBERTS COURT (1986-present) – also
conservativePlanned Parenthood v Casey (1992)
*In 2007, the Roberts Court upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Act of 2003 in Gonzales v. Carhart (method NOT access)
UNDERSTANDING THE COURTS
• Judicial Selection: POTUS/Senate - “during good behavior” – Senatorial Courtesy
• Supreme Court: What POTUS considers• Majority/Concurring/Dissenting OPINIONS• NEW DEAL ERA!!!!!!!!: laws designed to end the
Depression & court said unconstitutional (too conservative) FDR’s ‘court packing plan’ or ‘the switch in time to save nine’
• Judicial Philosophy: Activism vs Restraint
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