Electing Supreme Court Justices

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There is a proverb that says, “Don’t fix what isn’t broke.” This statement is very likely as true as it is old. But what happens when something is dysfunctional? The ‘something’ in question is the coveted seat of the Supreme Court Justice, which many should know is not a position that is obtained from the amazingly widespread routine of elections. Not to let out any spoilers if you were not aware, the President is the nominator of Justices to these associate positions and the Senate is the deciding group with a majority vote. I agree with the practice, currently instated because of our Constitution, but can see how some people worry over its effectiveness. There has been one case where a standing Supreme Court Justice has been impeached. This was the allegation of Justice Samuel Chase (Carliner), who served until his death due to his verdict of not guilty in 1805. As opposed to the customary impeachment of the President and select other political leaders, the impeachment of a Justice signifies nothing more than the investigation of accused actions of said Justice. The Justice shall serve for life, given that they remain in “good behavior” in accordance to the Constitution. Gathering from the history of the Supreme Court and its respective Justices, one impeachment, ending without dismissal, in the 221 years of activity is admirable. It would be fair to say that there could be confusion if somebody were to ask you what grounds for the impeachment of a Justice are had you no copy of the Constitution. Nobody has lived long enough to witness the impeachment of one, and what would be the point considering Justice Samuel Chase still served to his death. The near perfection of the terms served of every Justice is not the only reason that... ... middle of paper ... ... bicentennial of the Supreme Court itself. Feel free to be surprised if the way we nominate Justices changes anytime soon, because how we have done it so far seems to be working like magic. Works Cited Baker, Peter, and Jeff Zeleny. "Obama Picks Kagan as Justice Nominee." Nytimes.com. The New York Times, 09 May 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. . Carliner, Leah. "Can Supreme Court Justices Be Impeached?" Congress.org. CQ-Roll Call Group, 12 Mar. 2010. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. . "Number of Votes Cast Set Record, but Voter Turnout Percentage Didn't." CNN.com. Cable News Network, 06 Nov. 2008. Web. 19 Nov. 2010. .

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