Article iii of the constitution:
The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office. |
The life of the law has not been logic, it has been experience.… The law embodies the story of a nation's development through many centuries, and it cannot be dealt with as if it contained only the axioms and corollaries of a book of mathematics.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and Acting Chief Justice of the United States
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What is the judicial Branch?Watch this informative video from the youtube channel History that briefly explains the origin, function, and organization of the Judicial branch.
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The Supreme Court
The Supreme court is the highest court in the United States and it along with smaller federal courts makes up the judicial system in this country. Since its conception in 1789 the supreme court has had between five and ten active justices with one being a chief justice. It is the responsibility of the supreme court to ensure that American citizens are given equal justice under the law and interpret the constitution. Within the system of checks and balances has the power of judicial review. When exercising judicial review the court assess the constitutional validity of a legislative or executive act and can deem it unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is also well know for being a "last resort" for those seeking legal justice. Since 1925 the Supreme Court has chosen to hear about 100-150 cases every year. Below we will summarize some of the most historic cases that made it to the supreme court. These cases are important because they set precedents which maintain justice thought generations.
United States Supreme court Justices
John Roberts Jr. Cheif JUSTICE |
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Associate Justice |
Sonia Sotomayor ASSOCIATE JUSTICE |
Clarence Thomas Associate Justice |
Elena Kagan ASSOCIATE JUstice |
Samual Alito Jr. ASSOCIATE JUSTICE |
Neil Gorsuch ASSOCIATE JUSTICE |
Stephen Breyer ASSOCIATE JUSTICE |
Landmark supreme court Cases
Loving v. Virginia 1967
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In the mid 1960's Mildred Loving, a Black American woman, and her husband Robert Loving, a White American man, fought for their right to be married. In 1958 The couple spent years exiled form Virginia so they could avoid jail time and raise their children. In 1963 they longed to return home and wrote a letter to Attorney general Robert Kennedy who referred them to the American Civil Liberties Union. After several legal trials the supreme court voted unanimously in favor of the couple and miscegenation in the united states came to an end.
Brown v. Board of Education 1954
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After the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case segregated schools were seen as constitutional as long as those schools were equal. However, separate but equal was never equal as Black American schools lacked adequate textbooks, furnishings, and other supplies. In 1954 the Plessy decision was reversed and schools were to be integrated. This case changed the course of schooling in The U.S, but today the legacy of segregated school lives on in economically and racially segregated communities.
Obergefell v. Hodges 2015
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In 2015 the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to marry. Several couples from Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee argued that the states' refusal to issue them marriage licenses violated their 14th amendment rights. Before this case each state determined the legality of same-sex marriage, but Obergefell v. Hodges made it so every state would need to respect every persons right to be married.
Miranda v. Arizona 1966
After a man who was in police custody confessed to the crimes against him he wanted to suppress his confession. In court he argued that he was not informed of his rights and could not have kept himself from self incrimination. In 1966 the Supreme Court ruled that every citizen must be informed of their rights before questioning.
cIVIL VS. CRIMINAL COURT
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Watch this informative video from the youtube channel LegalYou that explains the difference between the two courts
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