Title: What factors influence court decisions? - eNotes.com
Headings: What factors influence court decisions?
Judicial Branch
What factors influence court decisions?
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Content: In a jury trial, 12 individuals of varying levels of education and representing multiple ethnicities and genders must come to an agreement for a conviction. Absent a consensus, a "hung jury" is declared and the defendant is either tried again with a new jury or the charges are dropped and the defendant is absolved of any responsibility for the alleged transgression. Now, assuming the question is specific to decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court, the factors that influence final decisions are, again, varied. The Supreme Court, when at full strength, is comprised of nine sitting justices, all serving life terms, which insulates them from outside pressures with respect to court decisions. While that protection from outside influences exists, however, psychological pressure is routinely asserted by outside forces, such as when large demonstrations take place outside the Supreme Court building intended to influence the individual justices. Additionally, individual justices may feel pressure or be overly influenced by political offices, such as in the United States Senate or in the White House. The Judicial Branch of the United States Government is supposed to be completely independent from the other two branches of government, but, when push comes to shove, the justices are human and are often sensitive or receptive to various influences. The nine justices of the Supreme Court, as with a jury, represent varying backgrounds, ethnicities, and ideological perspectives. They are unique individuals who bring different judicial philosophies to the job, and they are frequently deliberating on issues that most certainly were not discussed at the Constitutional Convention, such as abortion. While the primary responsibility of the Supreme Court is to consider and rule on the constitutionality of lower court decisions and procedures, including by law enforcement officials, there is no consensus on how to interpret the Constitution. "