Article IIIJudicial Branch

Supreme Court

Judicial Branch

• Number of Justices is determined by Congress– Currently there are nine Justices

• All judges for Supreme Court and inferior courts are appointed for life– “shall hold their offices during Good Behavior”

• The Judicial Branch interprets the law

Supreme Court

• Supreme Court is part of the Constitution• Congress can and has created lower (inferior)

courts– District Courts– Appellate Courts (Appeals)

Jurisdiction

• Jurisdiction - the power, right, or authority to interpret and apply the law

• Appeal – to take a case to a higher court

Jurisdiction

• Original Jurisdiction – the first to hear a case in court

• Appellate Court – to hear a case based on an appeal

• Supreme Court – final court to hear a case based on appeals

Jurisdiction

• Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in the cases involving– Ambassadors– Public Ministers and Consuls– Those in which a State shall be a party

• All crime cases will be trial by jury except for– Impeachment

Treason

• Treason is– Levying war against the United States– Supporting her enemies– Aiding and comforting her enemies

• Conviction of Treason requires– Testimony of two Witnesses to the same act– Confession in open court

Judicial Review

• Judicial Review– A court's authority to examine an executive or

legislative act and to invalidate that act if it is contrary to constitutional principles.

The Supreme Court JusticesReagan Appointees

• Antonin Scalia (Conservative)

• Anthony Kennedy (Moderate)

The Supreme Court JusticesGeorge H.W. Bush Appointees

• Clarence Thomas (Conservative)

The Supreme Court JusticesClinton Appointees

• Ruth Ginsberg (Liberal) • Stephen Breyer(Liberal)

The Supreme Court JusticesGeorge W. Bush Appointees

• Chief Justice John Roberts (Conservative)

• Samuel Alito (Conservative)

The Supreme Court JusticesObama Appointees

• Sonya Sotomayer (Liberal)

• Elena Kagan (Liberal)