Discussion Board

Overview

• Number 5
• Over time, the judicial appointees of Republican presidents have had decidedly more conservative decision-making records on the bench than those of judges selected by Democratic chief executives.
  • What does that statement suggest about judicial independence? Is it evidence that our judicial system has been tainted by politics, or is it proof that the democratic process prevails throughout our political system? Provide examples
• Number 6
• Is increased involvement of interest groups in litigation before the US Supreme Court a sign that the judiciary is weighing in on too many issues of significant, national importance?
• How do interest groups in litigation affect the rights of individuals in our current society? Provide a brief summary of a case as an example. Be sure to cite sources.
• Number 7
• In the United States, judges and juries sit passively while attorneys have the main responsibility for conducting the trial and presenting the evidence. In most European and South American countries, the judges and jurors sit together actively and conduct the trial in an effort to seek the truth while the attorneys take a passive role.
  • What method does a better job of getting at the truth and serving justice? Do you think jurors are qualified to determine the amount of compensatory and punitive damages that should be awarded to a successful plaintiff? Or should that task be handled only by a judge?