US Supreme Court

 INTRODUCTION

Made up of nine justices, the Supreme Court is the highest ruling federal court in the entire country that has the distinct power to check the constitutionality of the actions made by both the executive branch and legislative branch of the government. 

TIMELINE

1789- The Supreme Court is established by Article Three of the US Constitution.

1789- The Judiciary Act is signed into law by President George Washington. This stated that the Supreme Court would be made up of six justices on life terms until they either chose to retire or died. 

February 2, 1790- First Assemble- a meeting made to develop structural procedures for the Court to go by. 

August 3, 1791- The Supreme Court's first decision involving the case West v. Barnes.

NOMINATION PROCESS

Nominated by the US president, the judge then needs to be confirmed by the US Senate in order to become a Supreme Court Justice. This is part of the government's system of checks and balances. 

THE FIRST US SUPREME COURT

The first Supreme Court consisted of Chief Justice John Jay, John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair, Robert Harrison, and James Wilson. 

1869- Congress set the Supreme Court to have nine justices.

Current Supreme Court Justices: Chief Justice John Roberts Jr, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayer, Elena Kagan, and Neil Gorsuch. 

HONORED SUPREME COURT JUSTICES:

Thurgood Marshall

• John Marshall- Helped to establish the role between the judicial branch and the other two branches of the government.
• Charles Evans Hughes-Wrote influential opinions concerning the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech.
• Earl Warren- Helped to end segregation and racial divides such as abolishing the prohibition of interracial marriage.
• William Howard Taft- The first to ever be a chief justice and then a president.
• Thurgood Marshall- The first black man to serve on the Supreme Court.
• Sandra Day O'Connor- The first ever female to serve on the Supreme Court.
• Sonia Sotomayor- The first ever Latina to serve on the Supreme Court.

IMPORTANT CASES

Dred Scott

• 1857 (Dred Scott v. Sandford) - The Supreme Court denied all residency to African American slaves.
• 1896 (Plessy v. Ferguson)- The Supreme Court upheld state segregation.
• 1944 (Korematsu v. United States) - The Supreme Court allowed for the continued use of WWII internment camps for Japanese Americans.
• 1961 (Mapp v. Ohio) - The Supreme Court state that evidence gathered illegally can not be used in criminal cases.
• 2015 (Obergefell v. Hodges) - The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the entire country.