Jacob Robertson
Media Law and Literacy
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the head of the Judicial Branch in the US government. They are the highest court and are the end all be all for laws in the United States. The evaluate the constitutionality of these laws while also serving as a corrective measure for cases that may have gone wrong. This branch of the government has the power to check the other two branches and has done so multiple times in history. Serving on the Supreme Court as a supreme court justice is one of the highest judicial honors that a person can have, and they can hold this office as long as they want or until they are impeached. Since 1869 there have been nine Supreme Court Justices, including one chief justice that presides over the others. All of these justices are nominated by the President and then after that are confirmed by Congress. Before 1869, back when the Supreme Court was just established under article three of the US Constitution in 1789, there were only six supreme court justices. During the early days of the Supreme Court they didn't really take any cases, focusing more on organizational issues within the newly established government. The first actual decision that the Supreme Court handed down happened in 1791 in the case of West vs Barnes, a relatively simple case between a farmer and a family that he owed debt to. The Supreme Court has weighed in on all types of cases and issues that have happened during the history of the United States, everything from civil rights issues throughout the entire history of this nation to issues with government officials abusing their power. The Supreme Court has provided guidance on major issues throughout the history of this nation, both good and bad, and has been an important factor of the development of the United States into what it is today.
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