Landmark Decisions
Chapter 7 - Section 3
The Supreme Court

Justices - Supreme Court
Judges
– 9 Justices
– No age requirement
• Appointed based on law
school and number of years
served as a judge.
2014 Supreme Court Justices:
Antonin Scalia (29Years)
Anthony Kennedy
Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Oldest Justice)
Stephan Breyer
John Roberts (Chief Justice)
Samuel Alito, Jr.
Sonia Sotomayor
Elena Kagan (Newest Member 2010)
– The Constitution does not
limit the amount of justices
– Sandra Day O’Conner first
women Justice (1981)
– $208,000 - $217,000 per
year
– Appointed by the President
and approved by Congress
• One impeached Justice
– Samuel Chase
– Acquitted of charges
– Appointed for LIFE!
• While on “Good Behavior”
Hearing Cases in the Supreme Court

The SC cannot
begin a case itself.
– Appeal Court

SC decides what
cases it will hear.
– It will hear only the
cases that have
significant public
impact
– Thousands of cases
are appealed to the
SC, however, only
about 100-200 are
ever heard by the SC
a year.
Hearing Cases in the Supreme Court

Cases heard
generally have
national impact or
involve the
Constitution.
 4 out of the 9
Justices must vote
to hear the case.
 If the Supreme
Court refuses to
hear the case then
the decision of the
lower court stands.
Marbury v. Madison

Background: Adams
appointed Marbury to
be a Federal Judge in
his last days of office.
Thomas Jefferson (new
president) ordered his
Secretary of State,
James Madison, to not
deliver the letters of
commission. Marbury
took Madison to the
Supreme Court
demanding his job.
Marbury v Madison

Importance:
– Judicial Review - The
Supreme Court is able to
judge if laws passed by
Congress are
constitutional.

Decision:
– Madison Won!
– Ruled that you must try
your case in a lower
court before reaching the
SC
– The SC ruled that
Marbury used the
Judicial Act of 1789
which was
unconstitutional.
Dred Scott


Dred Scott – A slave from
Missouri.
Scott was originally owned by
the Blow family and then sold
to Dr. John Emerson.
– 1833 – Scott’s master took him
to Illinois
• Dr. John Emerson
– A doctor for the U.S Army
– 1836 – Scott’s master again
moved and took him to St. Paul
(Fort Snelling).
• Minnesota was still a territory at
the time.
• Scott married another slave while
in St. Paul and had two children.
– 1842 – Scott and his wife were
taken back to Missouri
Dred Scott
1843 – Scott’s master died
and his master’s wife
inherited Scott and his family.
 The wife of Scott’s former
master hired Scott and his
family out to other families.

– Scott offered to buy his own
freedom but the wife refused.
1846 – Scott sued in Missouri
State Court for his wife’s
freedom and his own.
 It took 11 years for his case
to reach the U.S Supreme
Court.

Question Brought Before The Courts
As a black man, was
Scott a citizen with the
right to sue in Federal
Court?
2. Had prolonged freedom in
free states and territories
made Scott a free man?
1.
1. 2 years in each place
2. Married as a “free couple”
3.
Was Fort Snelling actually
a free territory in 1820?
1. Missouri Compromise of
1819/1820 and the
“imaginary line” made
anything north free.
Slave owners
argued that the 5th
Amendment
protected their
right to own
property. They
Miranda v. Arizona

Background:
Miranda was not
informed of rights
prior to interrogation
or sentencing.
 Decision: Miranda
Rights must be read
to all suspects.