Homework: OL 331-333 due tomorrow

FrontPage: NNIGN

Supreme Court Ideology

The decision in DC vs. HellerNO. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that the Second

Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self- defense within the home.

Justices John Paul Stevens and Stephen Breyer filed dissenting opinions. Justice Stevens argued that the Second Amendment only protects the rights of individuals to bear arms as part of a well-regulated state militia, not for other purposes even if they are lawful.

On the Supreme Court…Interviews with Supreme Court Justices

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUfl9-cwJt4

Scalia on Judgeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tme4DEwG

L3U&feature=relmfu

The Nomination & Confirmation ProcessWhat are the steps in the nomination/confirmation

process for the Supreme Court?“Short list”/Interviews?The official nominationWho contributes their “two cents”?Senate questionnaireSenate Judiciary hearingSenate vote to confirm

Kagan’s Confirmation Hearing – Day 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCOlKIYqHs&feature=ch

annel

Alito Interviews for the Job http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJyPUaVmX8Q

Homework: OL 333 – 335 due Friday

FrontPage: Where do most Supreme Court cases come from?

"Do you ever have one of those days when everything seems unconstitutional?"

To Cert or not to cert…The Supreme Court receives thousands of petitions to hear

cases every year.Of those thousands, only about 80-100 are actually heard each

yearIf a party loses its case at the circuit level, it may choose to

petition the Supreme Court to review the decision: It is asking for a writ of certiorari;

The justices will get together in conference and discuss the petitions that the Chief Justice has placed on the discuss listOther justices may also put petitions on this list if they

believe they are in need of discussionMost cases are received by the issuance of a writ of certiorari;

known as a “cert”The court asks the lower court to send the record of the

case to the SC so that it can make a decision

Once a case is selected…3 options:

The court may decide to issue a per curiam opinion, if it knows how it will rule in the case – issues an unsigned general decision in the case

It may decide to hear the case – will put it on the docketVacate and Remand – send the case back down to the lower

court to be retried in light of new circumstancesThe Petitioner – the person who writes the petition for the writ of

certiorariThe Respondent – this is the person who won the case in the lower

court

The SC justices do not have time to review all of these petitions; their clerks will read them, and make suggestions about which are the most important

**What would be some good reasons for the acceptance of a case by the Supreme Court