Supreme Court

The Constitution says, "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish."

The Supreme Court is composed of nine men and women appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and serving for life.  It is often said that Congress writes the law, the President executes the law, and the Supreme Court interprets the law.  What does it mean to "interpret" the law?  It may mean something as simple as deciding whether or not a person is guilty or innocent. 

It may also mean something as complex and controversial as whether or not pornography is protected by the first Amendment.

The Supreme Court is very powerful.  There is no appeal beyond a ruling by the court other than a constitutional amendment, which is very hard to accomplish.  Although the Constitution does not explicitly grant it this power, since 1803 the Supreme Court has exercised the power of judicial review of statues.  This is the power to decide whether or not a law passed by Congress adheres to the Constitution.  Some laws are thrown out on this basis.  Sometimes the Court rules in error, as it did in 1857 when it ruled in the Dredd Scott decision that black Americans couldn't be citizens.  Congressman Pitts believes 1973s Roe v. Wade ruling that unborn children did not have a right to life was also wrongly decided.  The only way to correct an erroneous ruling is by constitutional amendment or by a new ruling from a future court.

Congress has also created lower federal courts.  United States district courts, of which there are 94, hear cases on federal issues.  United States circuit courts of appeals, of which there are twelve, hear appeals from U.S. district courts.  If the Supreme Court agrees to take a case, district court decisions may also be appealed.