In the United States, the Supreme Court is the highest court which can overturn a conviction and potentially decide an individual’s freedom once revoked by their own local court. In 1789, the Supreme Court was established and members were added to help with the load of cases and assist the elderly judges. One of the presidents who supported the addition for a tenth member was President Roosevelt. President Roosevelt was frustrated with the Judicial and wanted to pack at least six additional justices. He believed the new justices can assist the ones who were up for retirement. President Roosevelt’s plan for additional justices caused a major controversy which resulted in only 9 justices.
When a new president is elected, candidates are lined up based on their accolades. The Senate mentions a few of possible candidates fit for the position. According to the Constitution, under Article III the Supreme Court justices are appointed by a President and are appointed for a lifetime tenure. There are pros and cons for lifetime appointment for Supreme Court justices. Lifetime tenure for a Supreme Court justice has its pros. One of the first is the integrity and consistency with the Democracy. It allows the Court to be fair and uphold the true meaning of the United States Constitution.
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When someone is convicted of a crime, the person’s freedom is now minimized and once they feel as if they have been wrongfully convicted they have the power to appeal.The Supreme Court has a better chance to change the individual’s sentence. The justices review the evidence that were inadmissible in the court’s to make a better decision. As a result a person’s sentencing will change based on the decision made by the Supreme Court justices. An additional pro of the Supreme Court is it allows that case to be looked at a fair point of view. Based on the decision of the Court it will not be bias due to lifetime appointment. The sole purpose of the lifetime appointment is to focus on the true branch of the government rather than being persuaded by the politicians.
It allows them to look at the laws specifying to the Constitution instead of looking at it from a political standpoint.Once a case is presented , justices of the Supreme Court form different opinions and present it to other members who are needed to make a valid decision.The case is being presented in a manner where different individuals spend essential amount of hours to find the errors that were originally made in the case .The positive is different individuals hear the case and are able to give the case a fair judgment.The chances of a positive outcome are greater because of different thoughts and facts that are being presented. There are cons to the lifetime appointment for Supreme Court Justices.
One of them is the conflict of interest. Cases are being presented in front of 9 individuals who uphold the laws based on their knowledge and experiences. The ability to make a fair decision can be detrimental for someone who is patiently waiting for a positive result. Due to the distinct power they possess it can also create major controversies across the United States.Over the years, there have been numerous cases which changed the history of America. In 2018 , there was a major change in the United States regarding cell phone privacy.
The court ruled that officers needed to obtain a warrant from a judge to search the location on an individual’s phone. Many people opposed the decision made by the court because it violates the privacy of an individual. Another con is the percentage of overturned case are very low. The court receives about 10,000 cases each year and only hears about 75 to 80.
The amount of individuals on the bench is not suffice enough to handle so many cases. The cases they hear are the monumental cases that have changed America and their decisions have caused many protests. The reason is their tenure has caused them to look at cases disregarding of feelings and only focusing on the black and white of the case.The fact that the president elects the justices is also a con. The president is the only person who can appoint someone who best represents the constitution. The beliefs of that candidate can play a part of the appointment. Once the new president is elected , that individual can’t change the appointment of the new justice.
The justice have to uphold good behavior while on the bench and can only be impeached. In conclusion, there are pro and cons to lifetime appointment of Supreme Court justices, but I disagree with lifetime appointments. I believe they should have the same term limits as the president.
Since the president is the only person who can appoint a justice, it is only fair they have the same term limit. Furthermore, having a term limit prohibits national controversies and possibly can help with the outcome of many cases.In a career being complacent is another reason why I believe they should have term limit. The fact that the Supreme Court is the highest court , the decisions that are made should be made with fresh and innovative minds who strongly represents the constitution. Laws are constantly changing and the fact that the constitution is a living breathing document plays a major part.
When someone is in a field for over decades , some may question their true integrity and dedication on the job. As someone gets older, the person can only be accustomed to making a decision a certain way. In doing so, a person disregards other young opinions who doesn’t have much experience as the other person.
The court has 9 individuals who have been in a position for decades and have been looking at different cases each and every day.Although each case is different , it does not change the fact that the same case can be repeated especially if an individual has been on the bench for thirty plus years. Being in a job for the rest of your life can be repetitive and challenging because it can force you to be and think a specific way without being flexible.The ability to hear fresh minds can prepare an individual for other aspects in life and can also help when making such powerful decisions regarding an individual’s freedom future.
