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: 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. " Originalists" like the late Justice Anton Scalia will always attempt to interpret decisions through the prism of the closest readings possible of Founding documents, including the Federalist Papers. What makes their job so difficult, however, is that they must also interpret the intentions of those making laws between 1787 and today. Having worked on legislation quite a bit in the U.S. Congress and written so-called "statements of managers," the question of congressional intent is very important in court deliberations. " Statements of Managers" are reports written by congressional staff responsible for specific issues and legislation and articulate, to the extent possible, the meaning and intent of the legislation. When the Judicial Branch is considering the constitutionality of decisions, procedures and laws, it always, or should, review those reports.