COURTS: CHAPTER8 TURNINGLAWINTO POLITICS
JudicialPolitics
04/30/09
1
Judicialdecisionmaking
Justicesdefinethepoliticaland policylandscapethroughjudicial interpretation. Judicialdecisionmakingvaries accordingtoindividualand institutionalcharacteristics.
04/30/09
2
TheConstitutionandtheNational Judiciary
ArticleIIIoftheConstitutionestablishes:
aSupremeCourtinwhichthejudicialpoweroftheUnited Statesisvested lifetenureorgoodbehaviorforjudges judgesreceivecompensationthatcannotbediminished duringtheirservice suchinferiorcourtsasCongressmaychoosetoestablish theoriginaljurisdictionoftheSupremeCourt
TheintentofArticleIIIwastoremedythefailingsofthe ArticlesofConfederationwhichleftjudicialmatterstothe states.
3
04/30/09
Article III - Supreme Court
President appoints Senate confirms
04/30/09
4
Generally speaking, the Court will hear cases involves a basic constitutional principle an important question of federal law conflict between state and federal laws
04/30/09 5
Judicial Activism
The Court should take an active role in using its powers to check the actions of Congress, legislatures, the executive branch and agencies.
04/30/09
6
Judicial Restraint
The Court should defer to the decisions made by elected representatives of the people in the legislative and executive branches.
04/30/09
7
Political Philosophy
Court - an ever changing political institution that fluctuates between liberalism and conservatism as well as activism and restraint.
04/30/09
8
TheAmericanLegalSystem
TheAmericanlegalsystemisadualsystem:
statecourtsactually50different'systems' federalcourts
Bothsystemshavethreetiers:
trialcourtslitigationbeginsandcourtshearthe factsofthecaseathand(originaljurisdiction) appellatecourtsdecidequestionsoflaw,notfact (appellatejurisdiction) highorsupremecourts
04/30/09
9
Revenge,suefordamages
Courtcasesareeithercriminalor civil. Ifthepartiesinvolvedcantreacha settlementorpleabargain,the casegoestoacourtoffirst instance.
04/30/09
10
Thecharge
Intheabsenceofanoutofcourt settlement,atrialcourtisthe startingpointformostcourtcases. Thelevelofjurisdiction,either limitedorgeneral,determines whichtypesofcasesare permissibleincourt.
04/30/09
11
Thechallenge
Intermediateappellatecourts refereefortrialcourts,providing outletsforpartieswhofeelthey weretreatedunfairly. Ifthepartiesinvolvedfeelthere wasprejudicialerror,theycanfile foranappeal.
04/30/09
12
Thechallenge(contd)
Liketrialcourts,appellatecourts varyaccordingtothelevelof jurisdiction. Unliketrialcourts,however, appellatecourtsmaybeableto choosewhetherornottoheara case.
04/30/09
13
Theendoftheline
Ifpartiesarestillunsatisfiedwith previousruling,theycanmakean appealtothestatesupremecourt. Statesupremecourts,secondonly totheU.S.SupremeCourt,arethe highestlegalauthoritiesintheland andtheultimateinterpretersof theirstatesconstitutions.
04/30/09
14
Judicialpolitics
Theprocessofselectingjudgesis ahighlypoliticalprocess. Statesareforcedtochoose betweenpreservingjudicial accountabilityandpreserving judicialindependence. Judicialbehaviorislikelytovary acrossstatesdependingonthe typeofselectionmethod.
04/30/09
15
Accountabilityvs.independence
Therearetwomethodsfor selectingjusticesinstatecourt systems:
TheMissouriPlanJusticesare chosenbasedonameritsystem withnonpartisannominating committees. PopularelectionsJusticesare nonpartisanpublicelections.
04/30/09
16
Accountabilityandindependence?
Statesthatappointjusticesare chosenbasedonpartisanor facedtheadditionalchoiceofhow topreservesomemeasureof accountability. Apureappointivesystemwith retentionelectionsprovidesvoters thechancetovalidatethebehavior ofajusticewhomightotherwisebe shieldedduetoalifetimetenurein office.
17
04/30/09
Politicalimplications
Themeritsystemensuresjudicial independence,butitfailstoholdjudges accountablefortheirdecisions. Popularelectionspreservepolitical accountabilityandencouragejudicial behaviorthatismorecloselyalignedwith publicopinionthanundermeritsystems. Increasingly,judicialcampaignshave becomehighlycompetitiveandsubject tointenseexternalinfluence.
04/30/09
18
JudicialactorsI:theprosecutor
Prosecutorsrepresentthepublicin criminalcourtcases. Thetrendtowardlegislativeover criminalizationhasledtoan increaseprosecutorialdiscretion andauthority. Prosecutorsplayincreasingly politicalrolesinstatecourt systems.
19
04/30/09
JudicialactorsII:thepublicdefender
Publicdefendersfulfillconstitutional provisionsrequiringindigentdefense services. Increasinglitigationratesandalackof adequatefundinghaveledstatesto pursuealternativemeansofproviding indigentdefensefortheaccused. Assignedcounselandcontractattorneys provideanoutletforstatestocutthe costsofdefenseservices.
04/30/09
20
JudicialactorsIII:runawayjuries
Mostcriminalcases,besidesfelonies, havetherighttoajurytrial. Anycitizenmaybeaskedatsomepoint toserveonajurytodecidetheguiltor innocenceoftheaccused. Alljuriesaresubjecttovoirdire examinationinwhichattorneyscan challengeandexcusepotentialjurors throughforcauseandperemptory challenges.
04/30/09
21
JudicialactorsIV:criminalrights
TheBillofRightsprovidesasetof rightsfordefendants,butthereis nomentionofrightsforvictimsof criminalactivity. Increasingly,statesarepursuing provisionsaimedatprotecting victimsrights. Impactevidenceisoneofthemost controversiallawspertainingto victimsr...