Supreme Court Post

    Today in class we watched a two part video on the Supreme Court, it showed how the court operates, and what it would look like if a trial was held. Thousands of cases each year are appealed from the Appeal Court and sent to the Supreme Court to be appealed and only around a hundred cases are taken each year. The difference between having a case in a District and Appeal court compared to the Supreme Court is that in the District and Appeal court citizens of the jury are the ones that find the defendant guilty or not guilty and decide the ultimate outcome. In a Supreme Court they are tried in front of the nine justice members of the Supreme Court which are well knowledged in the government and in law and are appointed by the president to be a member. 

    In the court room the two parties each have 30 minutes to present their case before the justice members. After each case is presented, the nine members deliberate in a conference room. In casting votes "the Chief Justice casts the first vote, and then each justice in descending order of seniority does likewise until the most junior justice casts the last vote." After this the Chief Justice tallies up the votes and see's which majority rules in deciding the outcome. 

    The role of the Supreme Court is to give every case they accept an equal and fair trial, and to give them the opportunity to be judged in front of people that understand the court of law instead of a group of citizens, the jury, to decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.