Story originally printed in the Holmen Courier or online at www.holmencourier.com
Published - Thursday, July 10, 2008
HILLTOP VIEW: Judiciary invested with power
In recent weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its final opinions on several important cases. The nine justices that comprise the highest court in the land decided that neither rape nor any other crime aside from murder should merit the death penalty. They also decided that it was indeed our Second Amendment right to own firearms.
Despite these monumental decisions, many Americans still don’t understand the importance of the Supreme Court or are unaware of its purpose entirely. The Supreme Court is one of the three branches of our government, performing checks and balances that prevent any one part of the government from gaining too much power. In addition, it guards the rights we as citizens are guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. Freedom of speech, separation of church and state, crime and punishment, personal privacy, moral issues: these matters are all ruled on by the justices of the Supreme Court.
It is easy to forget about our judiciary branch. The president’s actions are under constant scrutiny from the media, while legislators are busy flaunting their qualities to the public whenever possible. However, other than the annual announcement of opinions, the members of the Supreme Court remain dormant for the majority of the year, researching and debating various cases.
The truth, however, is this: the eight men and one woman serving on the high court are some of the most powerful people in the world, let alone these United States.
Just how powerful you may ask? Not only are the most important cases decided by the Supreme Court, it also has the ability to erase any law deemed unconstitutional. Remember when Guantanamo Bay detention camps were all over the news for suspending military prisoners’ right to be brought before a court? The Supreme Court recently declared this practice was unconstitutional in a 5-4 vote.
Guantanamo was not the only recent decision to be reached with a narrow 5-4 vote. The members of the current Supreme Court are almost evenly divided, with Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Chief Justice John Roberts following a more conservative path and Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer sharing a more liberal philosophy (Anthony Kennedy, the final justice, is often the tiebreaker).
Next year, two-thirds of the justices will be 70 or older. Several could be replaced during the course of the next presidential term. Who will decide their successors? It will not be the voting public. Instead, the future president — either John McCain or Barack Obama, — will appoint a candidate to the job.
You’re probably thinking: “Great, another thing I’m supposed to think about this November.” Well, you’ve got that right. The freedoms that we currently observe and those that we would like to see protected in the future are all in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Unlike other politicians who serve terms in office, justices on the high court are appointed for life. This means that, long after our current administration has been replaced, the justices appointed by it will remain, either protecting or revoking the laws that are in place today. You might want to consider this when you make a decision this Nov. 4.
Alex Leslie is a junior at Onalaska High School.
All stories copyright 2006 Holmen Courier and other attributed sources.