l cases get heard by the Supreme Court. A case can either go through the federal or the state court system, the case comes to the Supreme Court. There are four different ways to reach the Supreme Court. It can be through a petition for an extraordinary writ. There is also a request for certification. A case can also be heard through an appeal, or a petition for a writ of certiorari. The Supreme Court has nine judges, which serve. These judges assess cases. These Justices hold their terms for life, “during good behavior” under Article III. The current Supreme Court Justices are Justice John Paul Stevens, appointed by Gerald Ford in 1975. Ronald Regan appointed Justice Sandra Day O’Conner to her term in 1981. Justice Antonia Scalia was appointed by Ronald Regan in 1986. Another Justice appointed by Ronald Regan is Anthony Kennedy in 1988. George Bush appointed Justice David Souter in 1990. Justice Clarence Thomas was appointed by George Bush in 1991. Bill Clinton appointed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993. Bill Clinton also appointed Justice Stephen Breyer in 1994. The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court is Chief Justice William Rehnquist who was appointed Justice by President Richard Nixon in 1972 and earned his appointment to being Chief Justice by Ronald Regan in 1986. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case concerning whether electrocution amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. They are using a case that was started in Florida. This decision comes four months after the third botched electrocution in Florida this decade. It shut down the use of Florida's electric chair, granting open-ended reprieves to a man scheduled to die recently and another a few days ago. The issue may not be resolved by the high court for months. Attorneys for death row inmates have tried unsuccessfully in state courts to prove that death in the electric chair violates the constitutional ban on...
