President Obama Nominates US Supreme Court Justice

What Happened:

 Judge Merrick Garland was announced by President Obama last week as the President’s nominee to fill the current vacancy on the Supreme Court of the United States (often referred to as “SCOTUS”).  If confirmed by the Senate, Judge Garland would be the 113^th Supreme Court Justice and fill the vacancy created when Justice Antonin Scalia died in February.

Judge Garland is currently the Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and has served on the court since 1997.  Judge Garland, 63, has more federal experience than any nominee to the Supreme Court in history, and has been lauded in the past by both Democrats and Republicans as a “brilliant jurist” and is regarded as both a moderate and centrist.   In order for Judge Garland to become the next Supreme Court Justice, he must be confirmed by the United States Senate, which does not appear to be an easy task.  The Republican Senate majority has vowed not to entertain any nominee put forth by President Obama.  A confirmation vote is historically preceded by confirmation hearings, during which the nominee is questioned by Senators attempting to examine the Judge’s credentials.  It is yet to be seen whether the Senate will hold such hearings for Judge Garland.

Why It Matters:

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land, consisting of nine Justices, and it heads the Judiciary Branch of the United States government.  While the Legislative Branch makes the laws, the Judicial Branch decides whether the laws are constitutional, and SCOTUS has the final say.  Included in these laws is our right, as individuals, to a fair trial.  If you end up in trial due to an injury, SCOTUS governs the rules regarding how you may present your case and any compensation you are permitted to receive.  Thus, each Supreme Court nomination is important, as the nominee may have the opportunity to decide on a law that dictates whether you are able to receive just compensation for any harm done to you.

If you have questions about an injury or harm that you have suffered, and whether you have a right to fair and just compensation, please visit www.plattner-verderame.com and feel free to contact us.  We are honest lawyers who spend our days helping honest clients.