Blog Post #2: The Supreme Court's Effect On The American People

 

In the United States of America, the Supreme Court acts as the Judicial Branch of the Federal Government. The Supreme Court has 9 Justices to serve at a given time. Before watching the video, I understood the basic concepts of being a Supreme Court Justice. Subsequently, I learned there's much more going on behind the curtains than I initially thought. In one instance, the nerves of the newly appointed Justices seemed as if they had been struck by lightning. After 3 to 5 years, most Justices' lives will seem easier thanks to their maturity. 

The important takeaway that I learned from the video is that, once confirmed, they are primarily responsible to the law - the public no longer has a direct ability to influence the decision through the ballot box. This is incredibly important, as the Supreme Court's legitimacy relies on the Justices whom the American people believe in. Trust is earned, not given. Every decision and every error is heavily factored in. Before a Supreme Court Justice walks into the courtroom. They analyze the petition at hand and carefully draft an opinion. During that period, it may take up to 4 weeks to complete the first draft of an opinion. Afterwards, they revise it to compromise with all sides. 

The most surprising thing I learned is the process by which a petition is initially accepted and reviewed by the Supreme Court. Initially, I believed that the lower courts had the power to send cases to the Supreme Court, but in retrospect, it was the Supreme Court that decided whether a case was chosen. It was surprising that their process allows Justices to accept, on average, 100 petitions for full consideration, out of the 8,000 or so that are filed in a year. In addition, the Supreme Court has to wait until a case is brought to it, thus, barring it from making cases on its own.

This video changed the way I think about the responsibilities that those 9 Justices hold. Understanding that they are more like us than just beings is crucial to me. Taking into account that they handle the biggest moments in American history like professionals is a key takeaway. Although they may make mistakes, we need to trust the Supreme Court and allow them to handle moments in an incredibly professional manner. These Justices are chosen to uphold our Constitution, and we should be able to sleep better knowing this.