Which of the following statements about the U.S. Supreme Court is false?
Group of answer choices
a. When the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments, twice a week the justices meet in closed conference, which is open to the public.
b. William Howard Taft served as the 27th President of the United States and as the tenth Chief Justice of the United States, the only person to have held both offices.
c. When a Supreme Court ruling is made, justices may write a concurring opinion to show they agree with the majority but for different reasons.
d. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases in which the United States is a party.
e. The selection of federal judges, particularly the Supreme Court justices, is a highly political process, where the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints federal judges.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The false statement is: a. When the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments, twice a week the justices meet in closed conference, which is open to the public.
Here’s why:
The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in cases before it, typically in two-week sessions, but the conferences where justices discuss cases and vote on them are not open to the public. These meetings are confidential and occur without the presence of the public or media. The justices meet in private to discuss and deliberate on the legal and factual aspects of the cases they hear. Afterward, they cast votes, and the majority opinion is written. While oral arguments are public, the conferences where justices privately discuss cases are crucial to the Court’s decision-making process and are kept confidential.
Other statements are true:
- b. William Howard Taft served as the 27th President of the United States and as the tenth Chief Justice of the United States, the only person to have held both offices. This is accurate. Taft is the only person to have served as both a U.S. President and Chief Justice, which is a unique distinction in American history.
- c. When a Supreme Court ruling is made, justices may write a concurring opinion to show they agree with the majority but for different reasons. This is correct. Justices may write concurring opinions when they agree with the outcome but have different legal reasoning. This allows them to express their views independently while supporting the final decision.
- d. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases in which the United States is a party. This is true. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases where the U.S. is a party, which means such cases can start directly in the Supreme Court rather than being heard by lower courts first.
- e. The selection of federal judges, particularly the Supreme Court justices, is a highly political process, where the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints federal judges. This is also true. The appointment of Supreme Court justices is a highly political process, with the president nominating candidates and the Senate confirming or rejecting the nomination.