Unit 3: Three Branches of
Government
The Legislative Branch
U.S. Congress
U. S. Congress
• As specified in the Great Compromise,
Congress is bicameral—two houses
1. Senate
2. House of Representatives
• A term is 2 years long
• Each year is called a session
– They meet Jan-Nov/Dec
• Ex. We are in the 113th Congress, 1st session
U. S. House of Representatives
• Has 435 members that are apportioned to
states based on population.
– Apportion = to distribute, divide out and share
• To figure out how many each state gets, there
is a census every decade.
• Each state is guaranteed at least 1, no matter
how small a population
– Seven states are represented by a Member-atLarge: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming
Congressional Districts
• State legislatures divide
states into districts of the
same number of
Constituents—the
people who are being
represented
• Gerrymandering: an
oddly shaped district to
get a particular group
more votes
– Named for Elbridge Gerry, an old Gov. of MA, whose
supporters made sure he won by drawing a district that
looked like a “salamander.”
Leaders in Congress
• For both Houses:
• The political party with over half of house
members is called the majority party, the other
is the minority party.
• Each party chooses its own leaders each
term.
House of Reps. Leadership
• Led by the Speaker of the House
– The chosen leader of the majority
party, though both parties must
approve
• Steers legislation, leads debates
• 3rd in line to the Presidency
• Currently John Boehner (BAY-ner)
• Other leaders: both parties have floor leaders
(majority & minority leaders) and “whips” who
assist them.
Serving in the House
• Serve for a 2-year term
• Qualifications:
– Age: 25 years old
– Residency: live in the state you represent
– Citizenship: at least 7 years
Who’s our Rep?
• Rep. David E. Price (Dem)
• District 4
U.S. Senate
• 100 members
• 2 per state (both represent the whole state)
• Serve for 6 year terms
– 1/3 of the Senate is elected every 2 years
– Currently Richard Burr and Kay Hagan
Senate Leadership
• Presided over by the Vice
President
– Only votes in a tie
• President pro tempore is the
acting leader
– President “for the time being”
– Traditionally the most senior
majority party member is
elected.
– Currently Patrick Leahy
• The Senate also has majority
& minority leaders
U.S. Senate
• Qualifications
– Age: 30 years old
– Residency: live in the
state you represent
– Citizenship: at least 9
years
U. S. Congress: Backgrounds
• Tend to be male, white, wealthy
– 19% are women
– 8% are African American
• Have a law (over half) or business career
background
• Are “joiners”
U. S. Congress: Salary and Privileges
• $174,000 per year
– Speaker: $223,500
– Party Leaders & Pres. pro tem: $193,400
• Office space, parking, trips home
• Franking privilege: send mail for free
Committees
• To handle the volume of bills (proposed laws)
each house of Congress divides into
committees
• Investigate, debate & report on legislation
(and other things to do with Congress)
• Not mentioned in the Constitution, but have
been around since the first Congress
Types
• Standing committees: permanent committees
– 20 in the House; 20 in the Senate
– Some have subcommittees
• Select committees: have a specific timeline to
complete a specific task (ex. investigating
government activity)
• Joint committees: both House and Senate
participate; about Congress itself, not bills.
Committee Assignments
• Party leaders make the assignments based
on preference, expertise and seniority
– Seniority: how long a member has served
– Most senior committee member of majority party
is usually the chairperson
• Problems or issues with this?
David E. Price (NC 4th)
U.S. House Committed on Appropriations
• Subcommittee on Homeland Security
• Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies
• Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
House Democracy Partnership
Powers of Congress
Expressed powers
• Are clearly enumerated (listed) in the
Constitution in Article 1 section 8
• Include: collecting taxes, coining and
borrowing money, raising a military and
regulating foreign trade
Implied powers
• Not listed in the Constitution
• Congress can do what is “necessary and
proper” to carry out its duties
• This phrase is also known as “the Elastic
Clause”
Non-legislative powers
• The most imported job of Congress is to
legislate (make laws) BUT, they do other
things too:
• Propose Constitutional amendments
• Senate approves Presidential nominees
• House impeaches (accuse) officials; the
Senate holds the trial to remove them
Limits on Congress
Limits
• Can’t favor one state over others
• Can’t interfere with states’ rights (reserved
powers) (as long as the state isn’t doing
anything illegal itself)
• Can’t do anything against the Constitution
(including amendments)
– Ex. Law that limits freedom of speech = bad
Writ of habeas corpus
• A court order that requires police to bring a
prisoner to court to explain why they are
holding them
• Congress may not suspend these orders
Bills of Attainder
• Congress is banned from passing laws that
punish a person without a jury trial
Ex post facto laws
• Congress may not pass laws that make an
act a crime after it has been committed.
Congress at Work
1. Lawmaking
2. Casework: Helping their constituents (people
from their home districts) deal with the federal
government
– Ex. A person asks for help with Social Security.
3. Helping their state & district
– Public works: Congress passes appropriations bills
for post offices, dams, military bases etc.
– Pork-barrel projects: government projects & grants
that help the home state/district
•
Ex. Getting a contract to provide military uniforms
From Bill to Law
• Anyone can have an idea for a bill, but only a
member of Congress can introduce it.
– Lobbyists: people hired to represent interest
groups to influence lawmakers
• After being assigned a title & number, it is
sent to the correct standing committee
The committee has several
options to deal with the bill
1. Pass it as is
2. Change it
3. Replace it
4. Ignore it until it dies: this is called
“pigeonholing” the bill
5. Kill it by a simple majority vote
Debating a Bill
• When the committed has approved of a bill it
is debated by the full House or Senate on the
floor
• In the House, only amendments to the bill
itself are allowed, the Senate allows “riders”
(unrelated amendments) to be added.
• The House has the Rules Committee that sets
time limits on debates (think about the
number of people involved)
• The Senate does not ! This
may cause debates to stretch
out
• Filibuster: when a Senator
“talks a bill to death,” delaying
voting until the sponsor
withdraws the bill
• To end a filibuster, Senators
may vote for cloture (3/5 vote)
which limits all speakers to 1
hour
Strom Thurmond,
senator from SC,
holds the record for
longest lone-man
filibuster—24 hours 18
minutes, to oppose
the Civil Rights Act of
1957
Voting on a Bill
• Members vote by voice, standing or by name
• The bill passes by simple majority vote
• It is then sent to the other house and goes
through the whole process all over again!
• If a different version of the bill is passed, the
houses hold a conference committee to fix it.
• After the bill is passed it goes to the President,
who can sign or veto the bill (more on that later)
• If the President vetoes Congress can override
the veto by 2/3 vote in each house.
State Legislative Branch:
N. C. General Assembly
N. C. General Assembly
• Meets in Raleigh
• Make laws for the state of North Carolina
• Bicameral Legislature-Senate and House of
Representatives
N. C. General Assembly Job Description
•
•
•
•
•
•
Makes laws
Examine government operations (oversight)
Propose amendments to NC Constitution
Approve the governor’s appointments
Can impeach and remove officials
Approve the state budget
*All of these are also things
Congress does for the US.
States are prohibited from:
• Article 1, sec. 9 of the U.S.
Constitution limits states
• States CANNOT
1. Make treaties
2. Coin money
3. Tax exports
4. Have an army or navy
5. Engage in war (unless directly
attacked)
• Other than these limits & going
against federal law, the General
Assembly can make laws about
just about everything else in N.C.!
N. C. General Assembly: Qualifications
• Senate: 25 yrs old, qualified to vote in NC, live in
the district represented for 1 yr, NC resident 2 yrs
• House: 21 yrs old, qualified to vote in NC, live in
the district represented for 1 yr
N. C. House of Representatives
• Leader: Speaker of the House
• Terms: 2 years
• Number of Members: 120
Thom Tillis
N. C. Senate
•
•
•
•
Leader: Lt. Governor
Acting Leader: President Pro Tempore
Terms: 2 year
Number of Members: 50 (1 from each district)
Phil Berger
N. C. General Assembly: Terms & Sessions
• A term is 2 years
• Each year is called a session:
– Long Session: Odd years—Jan-July/August
• years the budget is written
– Short Session: Even years—May-July
• revise the budget
• Salary: $13,951 a year
The Executive Branch
The President
The Executive Branch
• 3 Formal Qualifications
– Age: At least 35 years old
– Citizenship: Natural born citizen
– Residency: Resident of the US for the last 14 years
• Background
– Race: White Males (Rich)
– Religion: Protestant Christians
– Jobs Before Presidency: Lawyers
– States represented: Largely populated
Term of Office
Salary and Benefits
• Length of term: 4-year term
(Washington set this
precedent)
• 22nd Amendment: limits
each president to 2 elected
terms or a maximum of 10
years (if they finished less
than half of some else’s term
& were elected on their own
twice)
• Annual Salary: $400,000 per
year, plus $50,000 for
expenses
• Benefits/Perks: Lives in
White House, use of Camp
David, fleet of special cars,
helicopters (Marine One),
airplanes (Air Force One)
Electing the President
• Every 4 years
• Next presidential election:
– Tuesday, November 8, 2016
• Electoral College – Constitution established it to elect
the president (the people do not directly elect the
president)
• # of states votes = # of Reps + 2 Senators (D.C. gets as
many as the smallest state—3)
• To win, a candidate needs 270 of 538 electoral votes
– If they don’t the House of Reps votes
• 48 states use the “winner-takes-all” system
– Whichever candidate gets a majority of popular votes gets
ALL of the electoral votes for that state
Votes by State
Vice President
• Elected by the electoral college with the President.
• Qualifications: same as president
• Job: Constitution gives the VP little power
– Head of Senate: votes in a tie
– Assists the president
• Presidential Succession
– 1st in line if the president dies, is removed from office,
becomes seriously ill, resigns, etc.
25th Amendment
• 8 presidents have died while in office & 1 resigned…
• If the president dies or leaves office, the VP becomes
president
• The new president chooses another VP (approved by
Congress)
• Also gives the VP the job to determine if the President is
unable to do the job
Presidential Succession
• In1947, Congress passed the Presidential Succession
Act to spell out the order:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Vice President of the United States
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Joe Biden (D)
John Boehner (R)
Patrick Leahy (D)
John Kerry (D)
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security
The President’s Job
• Job: To execute (enforce or carry out) the laws passed by
Congress.
• Article 2 outlines other powers:
–
–
–
–
–
Veto (reject) bills
Call Congress into special session
Serve as Commander in Chief of the armed forces
Receive leader of other countries
Make treaties (with Senate approval)
– Appoint heads of executive agencies, federal court judges &
ambassadors (w/ Senate approval)
– Pardon or reduce penalties against people convicted of
federal crimes
– Gives speeches to Congress
• State of the Union Address: describes new programs of legislation
he/she would like to do for upcoming year
President Barrack Obama’s
State of the Union Address 2013
Roles of the President
“7 Hats of the President”
1. Chief Executive: Carry out laws passed by Congress
• In charge of 15 cabinet departments & +3 million
workers in the federal government
• Issue executive orders: rule or command that has the
force of law
• Appoint Supreme Court judges & other federal judges
• Grants:
– Pardon: forgiveness &freedom from punishment for federal
crimes
– Reprieve: order to delay a person’s punishment until a higher
court hears the case
– Amnesty: a pardon toward a group of people
2. Chief Diplomat
• Directs the foreign policy of the US; makes decisions on
how the U.S. acts toward other countries
• Ex: meeting with Chinese or Russian officials.
3. Commander in Chief
• President is in charge of the army, navy,
air force, marines, and coast guard.
• Only the president can order troops into
battle (& have countless times), though
only Congress can declare war (which
they’ve done 5 times)
• War Powers Resolution, 1973:
President must notify Congress
within 48 hrs when troops are sent
to battle and they must be brought
home after 60 days unless war is
declared or Congress gives
approval to stay longer.
4. Legislative Leader
• Executive branch proposes most of the bills Congress considers,
though only a member of Congress can introduce it.
• Example: In the State of the Union Address the President explains
legislation he would like to see pass in the coming year.
5. Head of State
• Living symbol of the nation
• Greets visitors and foreign leaders
• Carries out ceremonial functions: lighting
national Christmas tree, giving out medals to
heroes, throwing a first pitch
6. Economic Leader
• Plans the federal
government’s budget
– What programs to support
or cut?
• Deals with unemployment,
inflation and taxes.
7. Party Leader
• Leader of his political party
• Helps other party members
(endorses them by giving
speeches, etc.)
• Raises money for the party
The Executive Branch
The President
(Chief Executive)
Executive Office of
the President
Vice President
(2nd in Command)
15 Cabinet Departments
Independent Agencies
Executive Agencies
Government
Corporations
Executive Office of the President
White House Office
• 500 people who work directly
for the President
• Decide who and what gets
through to the president
• Members include:
• Chief of Staff: President’s
top advisor
• Press Secretary: gives
public statements for the
President
Chief of Staff – Jacob Lew
Office of Management and Budget
• Helps President prepare the federal budget and monitor
government spending
National Security Council
• Helps the president coordinate military and foreign
policy
• Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Supervises the CIA
Council of Economic Advisers
• Helps the president carry out the role of economic leader
• Advise him about employment, inflation and foreign trade
Office of Administration
• Provides administrative services
Cabinet
• Group of presidential advisers
• Includes the heads of the 15 executive departments
• The first Presidential cabinet was created due to need;
– NOT in the Constitution, but the president needed help
Department
Department of State
Department of the
Treasury
Department of Defense
Department of Justice
Department of the
Interior
Purpose
Plans & carries out foreign policy
Collects, borrows, spends, prints money
Manages armed forces
Responsibility for all aspects of law enforcement
Manages & protects public lands/natural
resources
Department of Agriculture
Assists farmers
Department of Commerce
Supervises trade, promotes US business/tourism
Department of Labor
Working conditions and wages of US workers
Department of Health and
Human Services
Works for the health & well being of Americans
Department of Housing and
Urban Development
Deals with the needs/problems of cities
Department of Transportation
Manages the nation’s transportation systems
Department of Energy
Directs an overall energy plan
Department of Education
Provides advice and funding for schools
Department of Veterans Affairs
Directs services for veterans
Department of Homeland
Security
Created after 9/11 to deal with terrorism
Independent Agencies
• Hundreds of independent agencies with directors
appointed by the president and approved by Senate.
• Executive Agencies: deal with certain specialized areas
(like NASA)
• Government Corporations: businesses that the
government owns and runs (like the US Postal Service)
• Regulatory Boards and Commissions – protect the
public (like the Federal Communications Commission)
Federal Bureaucracy
• The agencies and employees of the executive branch (3
million civilians).
• The purpose of the federal bureaucracy is to carry out
laws made by Congress
– Decide how to apply new laws to everyday life
– Administer the day-to-day operations of the federal
government (deliver mail, collect taxes, send out Social
Security checks, patrol borders…)
– Regulate activities (police, broadcasting companies, labor
unions, banks, airlines, etc. )
Civil Service System
• The people who work in Federal Bureaucracy are called
“Bureaucrats” or “Civil Servants”
• The purpose of the civil service system is to employ
qualified government workers.
Spoils System
Old way (before 1883) to get a job
The President appointed all high
ranking government positions
Ex. After an election the President
gave the jobs to his supporters.
The Merit System
Current way to get a job
People who deserve (are qualified)
the government jobs receive them.
Ex. Written tests & interviews
1st Lady
• Constitution does not mention spouse of a president
(1st lady), but they have served the country in many
ways.
• 1st Ladies have an office in the White House
North Carolina’s
Executive Branch
Roles, powers and duties
• Chief of State: symbolic leader of NC, represents NC to
other states & federal government
• Chief Executive of NC: carry out state laws, appoint
officials, coordinate state agencies, veto bills, grant
pardons
– Line Item Veto: veto specific parts of a bill, not the whole bill
– Grant clemency: commute (reduce) a criminal’s sentence
(ex. death penalty  life in prison)
• Other jobs: prepare budget, suggest new bills
N.C. Governor:
• Terms &Qualifications:
• Elected by popular vote
(people)
• 4 yr term (can be impeached &
removed)
• May serve 2 consecutive terms
(can be elected again later)
• 30 yrs, U.S. citizen for 5 yrs,
NC resident for 2 yrs (before
election)
Gov. Pat
McCrory
• Lt. Gov is elected separately
(can be from different parties!)
• Lieutenant Governor
– Succeeds the Governor
should he be unable
– Qualifications are the same
– Is President of the NC Senate
James B Hunt
Was governor
1977- 1985
1993-2001
North Carolina Cabinet Departments
•
•
Appointed by and report to
the Governor.
Advise the Governor about
issues in their departments.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Administration
Revenue
Transportation
Public Safety (Includes
corrections & juveniles)
Commerce
Environment and
Natural Resources
Cultural Resources
Health and Human
Services
Council of State
• Eight state executive agencies
• Heads are elected by the
people
• 4 year terms
• Operate independently from the
Governor
1. Commissioner of
Agriculture
2. State Treasurer
3. Secretary of State
4. Superintendant of Public
Instruction
5. Attorney General
6. Commissioner of Labor
7. Commissioner of
Insurance
8. State Auditor
The Judicial Branch:
Federal Courts
Judicial Branch
• Primary job: interpret (explain) the law
Equal justice under law
• Ideal of in the Constitution
– Right to a trial
– Innocent until proven guilty
Federal Courts
• Articles of Confederation didn’t have national courts, so
couldn’t guarantee equal justice from state to state
• Article 3 of Constitution establishes the Supreme Court
& says Congress can create lower courts
• Federal court system has 3 levels
– District courts
– Appeals courts
– Supreme Court
Jurisdiction
• The authority to hear and decide
a case
• Types:
– Exclusive jurisdiction: only federal
courts may hear & decide these
cases.
– Concurrent jurisdiction: either
courts may hear & decide these
cases.
Federal Courts’ Jurisdiction
•
•
•
•
•
The Constitution
Federal laws & the federal government
Disputes between states or citizens from different states
Foreign governments, U.S. Diplomats
Admiralty & maritime laws
U.S. District Courts
• 94 across the country and US territories (every state
has at least 1)
• Federal cases begin in a district court
• Have original jurisdiction: the authority to hear a case
for the first time
• They are TRIAL courts: responsible for determining the
facts in both criminal and civil cases
• http://www.uscourts.gov/court_locator.aspx
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
• Also called: “Federal Appeals Court,” “U.S. Court of
Appeals,” or simply “Appellate Courts”
• Appeal: to ask a higher court to review a case.
– Reasons to appeal: court followed the wrong procedure/
didn’t apply the law correctly
• They review decisions made in district courts
• Have appellate jurisdiction: authority of a court to hear a
case appealed from a lower court
• 12 courts: each have jurisdiction of a circuit (13th circuit is
for special cases)
• They do not hold trials
• 3+ judges review the case records, listen to arguments
from lawyers & meet to vote (by majority)
• They may:
1. Uphold (stand by the lower court’s decision)
2. Reverse (the lower court’s decision is invalid)
3. Remand: send it back to a lower court for retrial
• Appeals courts DO NOT decide guilt/innocence
(criminal) or the winner (civil)
• They ONLY rule whether defendant’s rights have been
protected or if they received a fair trial.
• 1 judge writes an opinion—explanation behind the
decision
• This sets precedent—guides other judges
– Offers model/example to base decisions on in similar cases
Early Precedents
• No Federal court can initiate action
– People with an actual case must come to them
• Common law—lower courts are bound to uphold rulings
from the higher court
Federal Judges
• President appoints judges
– No qualifications
• Use senatorial courtesy for district judges
– President asks the state’s senators if they object to the
appointment
• Federal judges may hold their job for life
– Can be removed through impeachment
Court Officials
• U.S. Magistrates—assist district judges
– Issue court orders, hear preliminary evidence, set bail &
hear minor cases
• U.S. Attorneys—Government lawyers
– Prosecute people accused of breaking Federal law &
represent the US in civil cases
– Appointed for 4 years by the President with Senate consent
• U.S. Marshals—make arrests, keep order in court,
escort prisoners
The U.S. Supreme Court
Jurisdiction
• Original jurisdiction in only 2 areas
– Diplomats from foreign countries
– Disputes between states
• All other cases are appellate jurisdiction
• All decisions are binding to lower courts
Organization & Duties
• 9 Justices: 8 associate justices led by a chief justice
• They choose what cases to hear
– Decide the case and give Court’s opinion
• President appoints them, with Senate approval
– Influenced by other justices and Justice Dept.
– Senate can reject nominees
• Always lawyers (though not required)
• http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/members.aspx
Powers: Marbury v. Madison
• Judicial review: the court can review any law or action to
see if it’s constitutional
• Limits: executive can refuse to execute or Congress can
pass new laws or amend the Constitution
Court Procedure
• Meet ~9 months a year: Octoberwhenever
• Review possible cases and place those accepted on the
Court docket (schedule that lists upcoming cases)
• Caseload: 10,000 appealed, 100 heard yearly
• Choose cases carefully: legal issues around the Bill of
Rights and other amendments
• Writ of Certiorari—lower court ordered to send records
to the SC for review
Decision Making
1.
2.
3.
4.
Review briefs (explains each side’s position)
Oral arguments (each lawyers gets 30 min)
Conference and voting (secret, no records)
Opinion writing
1.
2.
3.
4.
Majority—sets precedent
Concurring—agrees but for different reasons
Dissenting—disagrees
Unanimous—everyone agrees
5. Announcement
Courts must consider
• Stare decisis— “let the decision stand” (following
precedents) versus changing social conditions
North Carolina Judicial Branch
NC Court System
NC Supreme Court: 7 justices
give final word on NC
Constitution & law. Hear
appeals on capital offences.
NC Court of Appeals: panel of 3
judges review cases.
NC Superior Court: trials for
felonies & suits over $10,000.
Have juries.
NC District Court: trials for
misdemeanors & suits under
$10,000, juveniles, family law,
infractions. No jury.
• Appellate division:
review decisions from
the lower courts
• Trial division: decide
facts of the case;
have original
jurisdiction
North Carolina Courts
• Has both trial and appeals courts (like the federal
courts)
• Two types of trial courts in N.C.
– N.C. District Court
– N.C. Superior Court
• Two types of appeals courts in N.C.
– N.C. Court of Appeals
– N.C. Supreme Court
State Courts’ Jurisdiction
• Most criminal cases
• Most civil cases: probate (wills & estates), contract
cases, tort cases (personal injuries) & family law
(marriages, divorces, adoptions)
• State courts are the final deciders of state laws and
constitutions.
• State interpretations of federal law or the U.S.
Constitution may be appealed to U.S. Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court can choose to hear / not hear
cases.
http://www.uscourts.gov/
US
Supreme
Court
ONLY if the case dealt
with the U.S. Constitution
or Federal Laws.
US
Court of
Appeals
US District
Court
Federal Courts
NC
Supreme
Court
NC
Court of
Appeals
NC Superior
Court
NC District Court
State Courts
N.C. District Courts
• Located in the county seat of each county
• Have original jurisdiction in:
– Civil cases involving less than $10,000
– Criminal cases involving misdemeanors & infractions
– Juvenile cases for delinquents or neglected/abused
• “Bench trial” = no jury
• Judges are elected by the people for 4 yr terms
• Magistrates accept guilty pleas for minor misdemeanors
& traffic violations. In civil cases, they may try small
claims involving up to $5,000.
N.C. Superior Court
• Divided into 8 divisions & 46 districts across the state.
Every six months, judges rotate districts.
• Have original jurisdiction on all felony criminal cases,
civil cases involving more than $10,000
• A jury of 12 hears the criminal cases. In the civil cases,
juries are often waived.
• Judges are elected by the people for 8 yr terms
N.C. Court of Appeals
• Fifteen judges hear cases in panels of three
– If 1 judge dissents, the case may be appealed to the NC
Supreme Court
• Have appellate jurisdiction over cases appealed from
the Superior and District courts
• Review cases from the trial courts for errors of law or
legal procedure
• Judges are elected by the people for 8 yr terms
Supreme Court of North Carolina
• The state's highest court (no further appeal in the state)
• Has a chief justice and six associate justices who sit
together as a panel in Raleigh.
• No jury, doesn’t decide guilt / innocence; just error in
legal procedures or in judicial interpretation of the law.
• They hear all appeals involving the death penalty.