The Judicial Branch Introduction

Unit 6.1 and 6.2

Supreme court Justices

o Currently 9 judges
o Appointed by president
o Approved by the senate
o Life term (all federal Judges)
They know to much, they have freedom
Can only be impeached or retired
o Requirement for office
None
o Courts Personality
Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint
Jurisdiction
o Original Jurisdiction
First court case
o Appellate Jursdiction
The appeals court
Your 2nd, 3rd, plus shot at proving yourself not guilty
Types of courts and types of Juries
o District courts are both criminal and Civil
Criminal: murder, felonies
Civil: One person sues another- money is involved
o Two types
Grand Jury (16-23 people): these people decide if there is
suffieient evidence against a person to suspect them of a crime:
If yes: indictment formally charging someone with a
crime
If no: The charges are dropped
Petit Jury (6-12 people:) listen to a trail and decide if a person
is guilty of a crime or not:
Criminal: unanimous decision to determine guilty or not
guilty (One person thinks not guilty then the person is
not guilty, visaversa)
Civil: Majority decision to determine guilty
Court Powers and Limitations
o Judicial Review
The judicial branch can declare a law constitutional or
unconstitutional
o Precedent
The courts must be constent
IF they have made one ruling in the past, they must uphold
those ruling in the future
o Case law

The 1000 of cases that establish the precedents that are used
in interpreting the law
o Due process
The law (and law enforcement) must treat you fairly and
follow a set of rules for gathering evidence against and
prosecuting a person
Landmark Court Case
o Marbury vs. Madison
Judicial Review
o McCulloch vs. Maryland
The court expanded congress powers to include those implied
by the constitution
Established the inferior status of the states in relation to the
Union, states cant interfere with the federal law
o Miranda vs. Arizona
Miranda Rights
o Plessy vs. Ferguson
Segregation
Separate but equal
o Brown vs. Board of Education
Segregation
Separate is NOT equal

Supreme Court
Appellate Courts

US Supreme court
US courts of appeals
12 regional circuit courts of appeals
1 US court of appeal of Federal Court
Trail Courts
94 US judicial courts
Federal Courts and other entitles outside Military
the Judicial Branch
US tax courts
Veterans appeal
Federal administration agencies and
boards