Session 3

A. Doc 3

I – ANTICIPATING

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the “advice and consent” (majority vote) of the Senate. Once appointed, justices effectively have life tenure, serving “during good Behavior”, which terminates only upon death, resignation, retirement, or conviction on impeachment.

The Court meets in Washington, D.C. in the United States Supreme Court Building. The Supreme Court is primarily an appellate court, but it has original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. The Supreme Court is sometimes referred to as the High Court or by the acronym SCOTUS.

Section 2 of Article Three of the United States Constitution outlines the jurisdiction of the federal courts of the United States:

The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party; to Controversies between two or more States; between a State and Citizens of another State; between Citizens of different States; between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SupremeCourtoftheUnitedStates

II – QUESTIONS

1. How are the judges of the Supreme Court appointed? How many are they?
2. Using the context, deduce the meaning of “life tenure”.
3. In which cases do the justices end their appointment?
4. What does SCOTUS mean?
5. Which cases does the Supreme Court usually handle?

III – WORK ON WORDS

(to) ban = (to) forbid // (to) complain = (to) express discontent, displeasure, dissatisfaction // Unloaded = no bullets in // A shotgun = a double-barreled shoulder weapon // A trigger = the thing you press to shoot // An issue = a question, a problem // A scholar = someone who, by long study, has gained mastery in one or more discipline // (to) fumble = (to) look for something awkwardly // (to) strike down = (to) make ineffective.

IV – UNDERSTANDING

While listening, take notes to answer these questions:

1. Fill in the table below:

Where does the action take place?
Which federal institution is concerned?
What is the topic of this piece of news?
How many firearms are there in the US?
What is the percentage of handguns?
What is the decision to be made?

While listening, take notes to answer these questions:

• Who brought the case? Why?
• What’s the matter with the current law in DC?
• What is the argument used by Gillian St Lawrence to justify her Second Amendment right?
• What is the main issue to be tackled?
• What’s the scholars’ opinion?
• How does the District of Columbia justify its gun restriction?
• How do most justices react to gun restrictions?
• How do Chief Justice John Roberts justify his opinion?
• How does the court react?
• How does Walter Dellinger, attorney for DC, answer the chief Justice’s question?
• What is the intervention of Justice Stephen Breyer about?
• What is the journalist’s conclusion on the issue?

CORRECTION DOC 3

B – Grammar Lesson 2 : p.33