Live Classroom 6.5

Supreme Court Justices

Unit 6-2

Lesson Overview

• Students Will Be Able To:
• Identify the characteristics of the position of
Supreme Court Justice.
• Use information about justices' nominations to make predictions about Supreme Court rulings.
• Evaluate whether justices should have lifetime
appointments or terms of a set length.

• Vocabulary:
• Associate Justice, Chief Justice, Conflict of
Interest

Why do you think
there is a
Supreme Court?

Essential Question- How do rules about the service of Supreme Court justices affect government and politics?

Multiple Select

REVIEW! What does judicial review give the Supreme Court the power to do? (2 correct answers)

• Declare laws void because they violate the Constitution

• Investigate whether a person is qualified to take an official position

• Overturn decisions of lower courts

• Yell "GUILTY" at random people as they're walking down the street

Supreme Court Justices

• Important Reminders-
• Most cases heard by the Supreme Court are appeals
(Highest appellate court in the country)
• Has original jurisdiction in disputes between states or
disputes among ambassadors & other high-ranking officials
• Supreme Court judges are called "Justices"
• Congress set the number of Justices at 9 in 1869 and it has stayed like that since
• Having an odd number of justices prevents a split decision
(Ex- 4-4)
• There can be fewer than 9 justices on a case if a
Justice has a Conflict of Interest-
• a personal stake in the case's outcome that could prevent
them from being unbiased

Multiple Choice

Why are split decisions in the Supreme Court uncommon? (1 correct answer)

• Laws always provide a clear answer for how justices should rule

• Most cases are tried by an odd number of judges

• Justices usually agree on most large decisions

• Justices always look to the president for guidance on how they should rule

Appointment of Justices

• Supreme Court has one Chief Justice- the leader of the nine justices
• Presiding officer of the court and holds the highest
position
• Hears cases alongside the other justices called Associate
Justices- the other 8 justices on the court
• President nominates a person for the open spot on
the Supreme Court when one becomes available
• The Senate votes to confirm the president appointment
with a 2/3 Super Majority Vote
• This is an example of checks and balances
• Most people appointed to the court were attorneys,
judges, professors of law and/or members of
Congress previously

• Being appointed to the Supreme Court is a life-time appointment (there is no term of office length)

• Unless they are impeached and removed from office, they stay on the bench till they retire and/or die.

• Their compensation (Paychecks) cannot be reduced
• Why lifelong appointments? insulate judges from public opinion
• Voters do not have a direct say in the appointment of justices

Appointment of Justices Continued...

Match the phrases to best complete the sentences

Match the phrases to best complete the sentences

Justices and Political Parties

• Theoretically Justices decide issues based on the law, and not politics, however in reality political views may play a roles
• In the federal court system justices do not represent political parties (they may be registered to either party)
• Justices tend to be nominated by presidents that feel they will share their views
• Senate will usually confirm a nominee when the majority party and the president are the same party
 When this is not the case it is possible for the Senate to hold up the confirmation process and allow a seat on the court to remain open
• Possible that, once appointed, a justice will vote in ways the president and Senate did not expect if a justice's views may change over time
• Example: Associate Justice David Souter was appointed by a Republican president but his decisions eventually began to reflect more liberal views.
• Justices' lifetime appointments allow them to make these shifts without fear of losing their positions.

Essential Question- How do rules about the service of Supreme Court justices affect government and politics?

• The Supreme Court has nine justices, which makes a split
decision unlikely.

• Justices hold their positions for life.

• Presidents usually nominate justices who agree with their
views.