The Secrets of the Supreme Court

Click on the photo above to view the Supreme Court's website. 

The Supreme Court is a branch of the government that I have always thought of as very interesting. For awhile I thought the Supreme Court did nothing. It felt like they did nothing since Congress and the President were in the news every day and the Supreme Court only popped up several times a year. However, it was not until my American History class Junior year of high school that I really became fascinated with the inter-workings and responsibilities of the Supreme Court. 

One Justice in the video described his process when reviewing a case, he said he always goes into the hearing with his mind made up on what his decision will be. He creates a detailed outline with everything he needs to know about the case. He explains that he is always open to listening to what those apart of the case have to say, but rarely does he ever change his opinion. Another Justice also explained that the reason most of them go in with an idea of how they will vote is because they have each picked a set of details they want to make sure the other justices are aware of. They will point these details out by asking questions they reflect such key details, in hope it persuades the other justices to vote in favor of their opinion. In my studies of the Supreme Court I was never aware that they go into a hearing with a decision in mind. I thought that the point of the Supreme Court was for them to hear to the case and decide it in that moment, I had no idea they already had all the details and the decisions upon entering the court. 

Judicial review was created during the Marbury vs. Madison case. Chief Justice John Marshall created the concept of judicial review. This is the concept that the Supreme Court has the power to override anything that either the legislative or judicial branch has created that violates an individual's rights. The concept is that it fights for the people and works with the Constitution. The Justices often base their decision on findings and details from the case that revolve around the Constitution. If something violates a right it is unconstitutional and they have the power to change it or remove it. 

Every year the Supreme Court receives thousands of requests to hear cases. Each Justice has a team that individually reviews and decides what cases need to be heard. They usually choose cases based on what they believe was unfair and what they believe should be changed because it violates someones rights. 

An interesting questions one of the interviewers asked regarding how the public views the Supreme Court was: how do you feel about citizens feeling that the Supreme Court keeps everything a secret? One Justice fired back immediately saying she does not feel that is fair or agreeable. She explained that their decisions are not meant to feel secretive, but are meant to reflect the public's opinion as well as The Constitution. Their goal is to be a way for the people to get their voices heard within the government, not a way for the government to keep secrets.