Chapter 14
1.
Read online bio's of the
U.S. Supreme Court Justices. What do you find interesting about their
backgrounds? Pick one of the Justices, read about cases this Justice has
written (majority or dissent) and explain whether you agree or disagree with
his/her judicial philosophy.
The majority of our Supreme Court
Justices have a might fancy pedigree from Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, with the
exceptions of Samuel Alito and Elena Kagen but the one Justice I have been
fascinated with since her appointment is Sonia Sotomayor. She grew up in a very
middle class family who really pushed their children when it came to education.
They had to save to buy a set of encyclopedias. I am sure her family did not have the money to send her to Yale or Princeton
but she persevered and found a way to complete her education on her own. In her
capacity as Supreme Court Justice she has voted in favor of people with
disabilities, and for a woman’s right to abortion, both of which I greed with.
2.
Is Judicial Review a
power that should be exercised regularly or sparingly?
I think judicial review is a
positive thing if it is not taken too far.
Why? I am leary of decisions that are made
on the constitutionality of law that may be more based on the judges own
ideology and their feelings rather than fact.
3. Is it the job of the
High Court to apply the Constitution in light of the intent of the framers of
the Constitution (strict construction) or should they interpret the
Constitution in light of changes in society/technology (living Constitution)?
Why? I personally think the high
court should adhere to the living constitution. How can we possibly know what
the framers would think of the world today. I think the basic principles should
be the same just try to see things more in the present.
Blogged on: Edward King, Robert Cook, and Tinisha key
Blogged on: Edward King, Robert Cook, and Tinisha key
I agree with your comments on Judicial Review. It can be a positive thing, if it does't get out of hand. I agree that most Judges try to interject what their opinions are on an issue and not what the constitution says. That's why we see all these 5 to 4 decisions handed down by the Supreme Court.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment on the Justices, because most did have expensive schooling. I also liked Sonia, for she worked for what she has. I agree with the judicial review. I think that the high court should look at what the world is like today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of you on the backgrounds on where they are from and other stuff. I was shocked about some of them and have great respect for them that worked to get where they are and I do think we need to watch who gets handed the power on laws and other stuff cause some will take it too far.
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