Does everyone know why the first Monday of October is important? That is correct, Johnnie – the Supreme Court is back in session! Let’s look at some of the good and bad history of the third part of the “checks and balance” system.

1) President Eisenhower described this SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) appointment as “the biggest damned-fool mistake I ever made.” Who ever could that be?
a) John Marshall Harlan II
b) William Brennan
c) Earl Warren
d) Potter Stewart

2) What is the minimum age for a person to be appointed to the Supreme Court?
a) 35, just like the President
b) 30, like a senator
c) 25, like a member of the House
d) There is no minimum limit

3) the current SCOTUS represents just 2 religious traditions. What are they?
a) Roman Catholic and Judaism
b) Judaism and Anglicanism
c) Roman Catholic and Anglicanism
d) Baptist and Roman Catholic

4) Many people point to the Dred Scott decision as the worst SCOTUS decision in history. How was this decision eventually rescinded?
a) By post-Civil War reconstruction legislation.
b) By the 14th amendment
c) By the Emancipation Proclamation
d) By later SCOTUS decisions

5) Marbury v. Madison is one of the best known of SCOTUS cases. Why?
a) It established the Court’s power to invalidate a presidential appointment.
b) It established the Court’s power to invalidate an act of Congress as being unconstitutional.
c) This decision affirmed the lack of citizenry for slaves.
d) States’ rights were affirmed over those of the federal government.

6) Which Chief Justice had a cousin who was president while he was Chief Justice?
a) John Jay and George Washington
b) Morrison Waite and Rutherford B. Hayes
c) John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson
d) Roger B. Taney and James Buchanan

7) The book “Gideon’s Trumpet” (Gideon v. Wainwright) tells the story of how which right was expounded by the Warren Court?
a) The right to remain silent when arrested
b) The right to a lawyer in criminal cases even if you can’t afford it.
c) The right for every citizen’s vote to count the same as others
d) The right for people of different races to marry throughout the country.

8) Plessy v. Ferguson is most easily summed up with what easily remembered line?
a) “One man, one vote”
b) “fruit of the poisonous tree”
c) “judicial review”
d) “separate but equal”

9) What is the most common way for a case to be heard by the Supreme Court?
a) It is chosen to be heard by four of the justices in a process called “granting certiorari”
b) The Chief Justice chooses the cases to be heard.
c) The court assembles on the first Monday of October and votes on applications that have been submitted
d) all cases come through state Supreme Courts.

10) The Obama administration is asking for a fast track decision on which policy?
a) The repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell
b) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street regulations
c) the Affordable Care Act
d) FEMA funding bill.

Wasn’t that fun? I bet some thought the Supreme Court was where the final four was played. BTW – look for a lot of controversy to circle around Clarence Thomas. His wife is a major player in the Tea Party and most Americans like to have at least the veneer of impartiality.

Answers? Every damned-fool week you want answers.

1) c – Earl Warren as Chief justice. Most everyone in America was surprised at how liberal he turned out to be.
2) d – no minimum age – we hope some sense abides.
3) a – 6 R.C., 3 of the Jewish persuasion. No Protestants
4) b – While never stated as such the 14th amendment pretty well voided the Dred Scott decision
5) b – aka ‘judicial review’
6) c – Marshall and Jefferson were cousins in the Randolph line. Most agree they did not care much for each other.
7) b – a book by Anthony Lewis tells how Gideon won the right of counsel in criminal cases. A book you can’t put down.
8) a – the infamous “separate but equal” decision.
9) a – 99% come from granting cert
10) c – the Obama Admin has asked to fast track the health care insurance question (the ACA)