The Judiciary The Judicial Branch

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The Judiciary(The Judicial Branch)

• Interpreters of the law
• The Supreme Court, other Federal Courts and Judges

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The Supreme Court

• Highest court in US
• 9 judges are called Justices
• Judges are appointed by the President and
  approved by the Senate.
• May hold position for undetermined time period
  with good behavior
• Power shall extend to all cases arising under
  Constitution, the laws of the US, treaties made,
  cases affecting ambassadors, controversies of the
  country and between states.
• The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court is John
  G. Roberts, Jr.

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Who are the members of the court?

• John G. Roberts, Chief Justice
• John Paul Stevens
• Antonin Scalia
• Anthony Kennedy
• David Souter
• Clarence Thomas
• Ruth Bader Ginsberg
• Stephen Breyer
• Samuel Alito

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Federal Courts

• Judges in lower courts are also appointed by the
  President and approved by the Senate.
• Judges shall also hold seats in federal courts
  unless demonstrating poor behavior. They then can
  be impeached.
• All trial of federal crimes, except impeachment
  shall be by jury.

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You decide

• Suppose Congress has just passed a law that says
  that all judges must quit when they are 70. A
  judge who is 80 takes this case to your court.
  She doesnt want to quit. What do you decide?

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You decide

• Until 1981 there had never been a woman on the
  Supreme Court. In that year President Reagan
  picked Sandra Day OConnor to be on the Supreme
  Court. A law case has come to your court. It
  seems that a group of citizens are saying that
  only men can be on the Supreme Court. You be the
  judge. What do you decide?

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