Question the candidate

The United States Supreme Court is the highest court in the nation. Extremely important cases are tried in this court. Under the Constitution, the Supreme Court has the authority to review all cases rising out of U.S. law and to decide whether rights guaranteed by the Constitution have been violated.

There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. They have a great influence over the lives of the American people. Their decision is final and there is no appeal of Supreme Court decisions. Justices serve until retirement, death, resignation, or impeachment.

The President is the one who has the power to appoint justices when vacancies become available. His selection has to be approved by the U.S. Senate. Chief Justice William Rehnquist died recently after a year-long battle with cancer. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor stepped down in early July. Judge John Roberts has been nominated to serve as a judge on the Supreme Court. The record of Judge Roberts will be closely examined by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Hearings are being held now. Debate by the Senate will follow and then they will vote on the committee’s recommendation.

I’m sure many of you remember the Supreme Court’s 2000 decision to stop a recount of ballots in Florida during the  presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The 5-4 Supreme Court vote gave Bush the presidency. This decision was very close and created a lot of discussion among the American people, both from those that agreed and those that disagreed  with the decision. This is just one example to emphasize the impact the Supreme Court has on our lives. It is the institution that we rely on to uphold fairness and justice and protect American values.

I hope all you have been following comments about this issue in the news this week. If you could have a voice what would you ask a candidate for the Supreme Court? You would want to ask a question that would let you know how the candidate stands on issues important to you. Think about issues that affect all American like education, health care, civil rights, and other values we care about.  What would you ask to determine if a person would make a good Supreme Court judge?