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United
States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is located at 1 First
Street NE in Washington, D. C. across the street from the U.S. Capitol:
Introduction to the US Supreme
Court
Writs: Getting Your Day at the US
Supreme Court
US Supreme Court Justices photo and
link
Search United States Supreme Court
Opinions
Selected US
Supreme Court Opinions Older than
1936
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U.S. Supreme Court Rules
U. S. Supreme Court calendar
for this term
Writing the U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court was
specifically created by the Federal Judiciary Act, adopted Sept. 24,
1789 under authority of the United States Constitution, adopted March
4, 1789. The third article of the United States Constitution states
only that the judicial power of the United States "be vested in one
Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as Congress may from time to
time ordain and establish." Thus, the Supreme Court is the only
indispensable court. In one of its most important early decisions, Marbury
vs. Madison, the court asserted its right to
review the constitutionality of the acts of Congress when it decided
that Congress exceeded its authority in the Judiciary At of 1789 - the
very act that created the early structure of the federal court system.
The Supreme Court did not have its own building, the present one, until
1935. In 1789, it met in the Merchants Exchange Building in New York
City. When Philadelphia became the capital, it briefly met in
Independence Hall and then City Hall. When the seat of government moved
to Washington DC in 1800, it met in a half-dozen places in the Capital
Building, and even met in private homes after the British burnt the
city during the War of 1812.
The Supreme Court is both a court of 'original jurisdiction' and the
ultimate US appeals court. The United States Code: Title 28
(Judiciary and Judicial Procedure);, Part 4
(Jurisdiction and Venue); Chapter 81 (Supreme
Court) is the present location where an enumeration of the jurisdition
of the Court is to be found. The Supreme Court has original and
exclusive jurisdiction of all controversies between two or more States
and original (but not exclusive jurisdiction) of actions or
proceedings:
A party that is dissatisfied
with a decision of one of the following courts, may seek additional
review in the Supreme Court:
Writs: Getting Your
Day at the Supreme Court
US Circuit Courts, as a matter of right, are required to hear and rule
on all proper appeals from the
lower US District Courts. However, while the Supreme Court disposes of
as many as 7,500 cases
each year, since 1925 it is allowed to decide specifically which cases
it will hear in full court. Sitting from the first monday of October
thru about June, the Court normally only issues a Writ of Certiorari to
(agrees to fully
hear) about 80 to 150 cases each year. These are generally of national
importance and interest or involve constitutional issues. The rest of
the cases that are 'disposed of', but not fully reviewed, are dispensed
by means a denial for the issuance of a Writ of Certiorari.
Note that a denial of a Writ of Certiorari by the US
Supreme Court is not considered to be a decision on the merits of the
case or the appeal or an agreement with the decision of the
lower court. The denial establishes no nationwide precedent and the
lower
court's decision remains authoritative only in its own juridiction. The
denial of a Writ of Certiorari is nothing
more than a decision that the subject matter of the case is not
appropriate or of sufficient importance for review by the full court.
A Writ of Certiorari usually results from a petition for one by the
losting party in the lower court case. However, since the Writ is
actually an order for the lower court to submit the case to the upper
court for its review, there is nothing to prevent the upper court from
originating the Writ on its own, upon the decision by at least four
justices ( the "rule of four") to hear the case.
The judges (justices) hear the cases sitting together in open court
('en banc'). The justices are seated on the bench (and vote) according
to seniority. The court administrators (the clerk and the marshall who
act as record-keeper and time-keeper, respectively) sit near the
opposite ends of the bench.
U. S. Supreme Court Justices
Seated left to right: Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Justice
John Paul Stevens, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Justice Antonin
Scalia, Justice David H. Souter.
Standing left to right: Justice Stephen G. Breyer,
Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Samuel
Anthony Alito, Jr.
As noted, judges of The
Supreme Court of the United States (and the individual states) are
called 'justices'. The Constitution does not state the required number
of justices. That is set by statute and has varied since establishment
of the Court. Upon establishment of the court in 1789: six; increases
to seven in 1807; increased to nine in 1837; increased to ten in 1863;
reduced to eight in 1866. Since 1869, the court has comprised nine
members.
The justices are appointed for life by the President with the advice
and consent of the Senate, though they may voluntarily resign or
retire. Retired justices may be requested to temporarily sit on a US
Court of Appeals. There is no specific requirement as to where the
justices are appointed from, but the entire present court consists of
former judges from the various US Circuit Appellate courts. While
Congress has the right to remove justices by impeachment, but it has
never succeeded in doing so.
One justice is appointed as the Chief Justice and has additional
administrative duties related both to the Supreme Court and to the
entire federal court system. There is no necessity for the Chief
Justice to be picked from amont the existing justices: He can be
appointed directly to the position, as in the case of present Chief
Justive Roberts.
Each justice is assigned to one or more of the courts of appeals for
emergency responses. Since the retirement of Harry Blackmun and the
death of Chief Justice, Wm. Rehnquist, present justice John Paul
Stevens is the longest serving (34 years as of 2009). Only William O.
Douglas, who Stevens replaced in 1975, has served longer (36 years).
Cornell's
Gallery
of the justices
Pictures, biographies, and decisions
by the current members of the court.
All Historical Members of the Supreme Court
U.S. Supreme Court
Opinions
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Example: Reno
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Selected US Supreme
Court Opinions Older than 1936
OYEZ!!
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Origin
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U.S. Supreme Court Rules and other information about the court
U. S. Supreme Court calendar
for this term
Address:
The Honorable (NAME OF
JUSTICE)
(Chief) Justice of the Supreme Court
U. S. Supreme Court Building
1 First Street, NE
Washington, D. C. 20543
Salutation:
Dear Sir:
Dear Mr. (Chief) Justice:
Dear Justice (NAME):
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