Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch of the United States Government is responsible for comparing congressional and state legislation to the United States Constitution. All laws in the United States must fall within the limits set by the Constitution. If legislation is held to violate a constitutional right, then the legislation is struck down as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the United States. As a result, issues which make the Supreme Court are usually landmark and historical in nature. Many decisions by the Supreme Court affect everyday lives of Americans.

The Supreme Court consists of 9 justices. Each justice is appointed to the Supreme Court by the President. Supreme Court Justices are tenured for life once their appointment has been affirmed. Decisions made by the Supreme Court can be unanimous or as close as a 5-4 split. Once the Supreme Court is finished weighing legal issues it then gives its decision. Often times there are opinions written by the justices on both sides of the issue.

Justices of the Supreme Court 2012

The Supreme Court is designed to interpret the legal intentions of the framers of the Constitution. When issues arise that are unclear within the written legalities of Constitution, the Supreme Court will agree to hear arguments prior to making its decision. Once the decision has been made a legal precedent has been set. A legal precedent is a decision that can be referred to in future legal disputes. Once a precedent has been set, most often courts will adhere to the rationale of the precedent. Occasionally, a legal precedent, such as "separate but equal," will be overturned.

See the post titled "Example Landmark Supreme Court Cases."