The Supreme Court and you: what's at stake for you in top cases now before the Court?If you visit the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., you will see the words "Equal Justice Under Law" written above the main entrance. That describes the Court's ultimate responsibility. On the first Monday in October First Monday in October is a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The title refers to the day on which the United States Supreme Court traditionally convenes following its summer recess. , all eyes in the land turn to the Supreme Court. On that day, the Court traditionally begins its annual session with a docket (schedule) full of important cases. Why should the decisions of the Court matter to you? The nine Justices of the Court are the highest judicial authority in the land. Writes legal scholar Laurence H. Tribe, their decisions "exert a powerful ... impact on nearly every aspect of our lives." The Court seeks to ensure that rulings by lower courts, laws passed by Congress, and government actions follow the Constitution. All other U.S. institutions must abide by the Court's rulings. "A Blockbuster Term" The position of Supreme Court Justice is crucial in our system of government. Justices are appointed for life. Their interpretation of the Constitution can shape the nation's laws for generations. "Presidents come and go," said William Howard Taft, "but the Supreme Court goes on forever." Taft, the 27th President and the 10th Chief Justice of the United States the presiding judge of the Supreme Court, and Highest judicial officer of the republic. See also: Chief justice , is the only person in U.S. history to have served as both President and Chief Justice. This fall, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. began his first full term on the Court. Alito was appointed by President George W. Bush last year to take the place of to be substituted for. - Berkeley. See also: Place retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26 1930) is an American jurist who served as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was considered a strict constructionist. . He joins Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., another Bush appointee APPOINTEE. A person who is appointed or selected for a particular purpose; as the appointee under a power, is the person who is to receive the benefit of the trust or power. , who took his seat last October. Legal experts predict that the two newest Justices are likely to steer the Court in a more conservative direction. Here are two cases the Justices will hear that directly affect kids your age. Think carefully about the issues the Court must consider before it rules. How would you decide these cases? Words to know * greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure. and other gases that contribute to global warming global warming, the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. . Burning fossil fuels, such as coal and gasoline, is the largest source of such gases. * plaintiff: a person who starts a legal action. the case parents involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District # the issue Do public schools violate the Constitution by trying to racially balance their student bodies? the background Andy Kurfirst's mother was angry. Andy, who lives in Seattle, Washington  This page is protected from moves until disputes have been resolved on the .The reason for its protection is listed on the protection policy page. , didn't get into any of the three public high schools to which he had applied. The problem: Andy is white, and the schools already had too many white students. Seattle's assignment system was designed to maintain a racially diverse student body at each school. The Kurfirsts and other Seattle parents protested that the process was unfair. They sued the school district. "Children should not be stereotyped by the color of their skin," said one of the parents' attorneys. why it matters to you In 1954, the Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483, 47 S. Ct. 686, 98 L. Ed. 873, was the most significant of a series of judicial decisions overturning segregation laws—laws that separate whites and blacks. , that segregated schools are unconstitutional. The Court ordered that U.S. schools be integrated. Only then, the Court said in a unanimous decision A Unanimous Decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which all 3 judges agree on which fighter won the match. , would children of all races have an equal chance for a good education. Since Brown, communities have tried to integrate schools. But the effort ' has often ended in failure, especially when white and minority students live in different neighborhoods. The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University Harvard University, mainly at Cambridge, Mass., including Harvard College, the oldest American college. Harvard College Harvard College, originally for men, was founded in 1636 with a grant from the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. estimates that as of 2003, 38 percent of African-American and 39 percent of Hispanic students were in "extremely segregated" schools. ["Extremely segregated" means minorities make up at least 90 percent of the student body.] What would happen if the Seattle school district loses its case? One legal expert said, "It would ... signal the end of the Brown v. Board of Education Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) (1954) U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. desegregation desegregation: see integration. era." YOU DECIDE Is what happened to Andy Kurfirst unfair? Why or why not? the case Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, 549 U.S. ___ (2007),[1] is a U.S. Supreme Court case decided 5-4 on April 2, 2007 in which twelve states and several cities of the United States brought suit against the United States Environmental Protection the issue Are greenhouse gases air pollutants pollutants see environmental pollution. ? Does the government have a duty to regulate (limit by law) them? the background For years, scientists have warned about global warming and the greenhouse gases that cause it. A group of states and environmental agencies went further. They sued the federal Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and [EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. }. The plaintiffs say that the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to limit greenhouse gases. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963 and first revised it in 1970. The act requires the government to regulate "any air pollutant pol·lut·ant n. Something that pollutes, especially a waste material that contaminates air, soil, or water. " that could "endanger public health or welfare." But, said the EPA, the act doesn't mention carbon dioxide or any greenhouse gases specifically. Under the Bush administration, the agency refuses to limit any gases that do not make the air visibly dirty. Environmentalists object that scientists didn't know about greenhouse gases in 1970. Said one: "By ducking its clear duty... [the EPA] disrespects both the law and the people it is supposed to be serving." why it matters to you If the Court rules against the EPA, the government will be required to limit greenhouse gases. Automakers and industries will have to make expensive changes. The Bush administration and the EPA oppose mandatory [required] regulations. They prefer voluntary efforts. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. one EPA spokesperson, "In Z004, voluntary partnerships prevented [millions of] tons of greenhouse gas emissions." YOU DECIDE Should the federal government be required to limit greenhouses gases? * Objectives Students should be able to: * understand the importance of Supreme Court decisions in their lives. * debate two cases currently before the Court. * Background Racial balance was only one factor used by Seattle schools in deciding students' applications. The first two factors were the presence of siblings at a school and the proximity of a student's home. The school district suspended the race factor after the parents sued. The Supreme Court is hearing the parents' case along with Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education is a case heard before the United States Supreme Court in December 2006 regarding racial quotas and explicit racial desegregation in public education. The U.S. , a similar case from Kentucky. * Critical Thinking COMPREHENSION: What did William Howard Taft, who was both President and Chief Justice, mean in his statement about the Supreme Court? (The Court has a longer-lasting influence on the law than any President.) MAKING INFERENCES: Do lifetime appointments give Supreme Court Justices too much power? Explain. (Answers will vary.) * Activity FORMING SUPPORTED OPINIONS: Have students form their own Supreme Court to decide one of the cases featured in the article. Select an odd number of Justices to make the ruling, as well as attorneys to argue each side of the case. Justices should issue their findings in writing, expressing their reasoning process as well as the decision. To follow up, check for the Supreme Court's ruling when it is issued next spring. What does the Court say? What were the objections of the minority opinion? With whom do students agree? Why? STANDARD SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 * Individuals, groups, and institutions: The Supreme Court tackles issues that have no easy solutions, balancing individual rights against society's needs. RESOURCES * LeValliant, Ted, and Theroux, Marcel, What's the Verdict? [Sterling Publishing Co., 1991]. Grades 6-12. * Panchyk, Richard, Our Supreme Court [Chicago Review Press, 2006). Grades 7-12. WEB SITES * Judicial Branch/Ben's Guide bensguide.gpo.gov/6-8 * Supreme Court facts infoplease.com/ipa/ AO87S894.html * Match each person in the left column with the correct description in the right column.
6. Samuel A. Alito Jr. A. current Chief Justice
7. George W. Bush B. recently retired from
the Court
8. Sandra Day O'Connor C. was Chief Justice after
being President
9. John G. Roberts Jr. D. Supreme Court's
newest Justice
10. William Howard Taft E. appointed the two
newest Supreme Court
members
ANSWER 6. D 7. E 8. B 9. A 10. C |
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