Supreme Court

(soo-prèm'.) (Amer. Law.) The Constitution of the U. States directs that the judicial power of the U. States shall be vested in one S. court, and in such inferior courts as Congre may, from time to time, ordain and establish. The judges of the S. C. are appointed by the President, by and with the consent of the Senate. They hold their office during good behavior. They consist of a chief justice and nine a ociate judges. Six judges are required to make a quorum. The S. court is holden at the city of Washington. Its jurisdiction is either original or appellate, civil or criminal. It has exclusive jurisdiction of all controversies of a civil nature when a State is a party, except between a State and its citizens, and except, also, between a State and citizens of other States, or aliens, in which latter case it has original, but not exclusive, jurisdiction. The S. court has also the power to i ue writs of habeas corpus, scire facias, and all other writs not especially provided for by statute, which maybe nece ary for the exercise of its jurisdiction and agreeable to the principles and usages of law; and the justices have, individually, the power to grant writs of habeas corpus, of no exeat, and of injunction. The S. court exercises appellate jurisdiction by writ of error from the final judgment of the circuit courts, of the district courts exercising the powers of circuit courts, and of the superior courts of the territories exercising the powers of circuit courts in certain cases. It has also jurisdiction by writ of error from the final judgments and decrees of the highest courts of law or equity in a State, in the cases provided for by the 25th section of the act of Sept. 24, 1789. It has jurisdiction by appeal from the final decrees of the circuit courts, and of the district courts exercising the powers of circuit courts in certain cases.-In nearly all the States there is also a court of superior jurisdiction called S. court, but in one or two there is a court of appellate jurisdiction from the supreme court. [s. 869]