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Congress has the power set the number of Supreme Court Justices and has the power to change the number of justices. Over the years, the number of justices has varied from 5 to 10. Since 1869, the number has remained at 9. Eight associate justices and one Chief Justice. In 1937 President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to get Congress to increase the number of justices to 15 but they refused.
Answer
The Supreme Court of the United States comprises ninejustices: one Chief Justice, and eight Associate Justices.
The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for a 6-member Court, with a Chief Justice and 5 Associate Justices. Congress adjusted the size of the Court a number of times through the during the 19th-century.
- Judiciary Act of 1801: Court size, 5
- Repeal Act of 1802: Court size, 6
- Judiciary Act of 1807: Court size, 7
- Judiciary Act of 1837: Court size, 9
- Judiciary Act of 1863: Court size, 10
- Judiciary Act of 1866: Court size, 7
- Judiciary Act of 1867: Court size, 8
- Judiciary Act of 1869: Court size, 9
After the election of President Ulysses S. Grant, Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1869, which set the Court's membership at nine. This number has remained the same ever since.
In 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted unsuccessfully to expand the membership of the court to gain support on the Court for his New Deal programs. He proposed adding one justice to the Supreme Court for every member over 70.5 years of age, with the potential of adding as many as six additional justices, for a total of 15. Congress refused to pass Roosevelt's legislation; however, the President had an opportunity to nominate eight justices* to vacancies that occurred during his terms of office, which created a court more receptive to his ideas.
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How many justices on the U.S. supreme court?
In 1869, Congress raised the number of justices to nine, where it has stood ever since.
How many US Supreme Court justices were in office while Ulysses S. Grant was president?
There were nine Supreme Court Justices in 1869, when Ulysses S. Grant became the 18th US president. There have been a maximum of 9 Justices on the court ever since.
How many justices serve on the U.S supreme court?
In 1869, Congress raised the number of justices to nine, where it has stood ever since.
Does the US Supreme Court have eleven justices?
No, but the number has varied over the years, because the Constitution does not say there has to be 9 members. The Supreme Court began with 6, then went to 5, then to 7, then to 9, then to 10, back to 7 agains and then to 9 again in 1896 and it has stayed at 9 ever since.
How many justices are on the US Supreme Court this year?
There are currently 9 Justices in the US Supreme Court. The number varied in the early years of the court from a low of 6 to a high of 10. The Circuit Judges Act of 1869 set the number at 9 and it has been there ever since.
Did Obama ever run for the U.S Supreme Court?
U.S. Supreme Court justices are not elected. They are appointed by the president and approved by a majority of the U.S. Senate. Although he is expert in constitutional law, it is doubtful that President Obama would ever want to serve on the High Court.
Has a president ever chosen a Supreme Court justice who was not a certified judge?
Yes, presidents have nominated Supreme Court justices who were not judges many times. The Constitution gives no qualifications for Supreme Court judges, so the President can nominate anyone he wants. Today, nominating judges is the norm, but that was not so in the past.
Who was the recent impeachment of the justices in the supreme court?
I'm not sure what you're trying to ask, but there was no recent impeachment of US Supreme Court justices. The only justice ever impeached was Samuel Chase, in 1804. Chase was acquitted at his Senate trial in 1805 and continued serving on the Court until his death in 1811. For more information, see Related Questions, below.
How many terms can you serve for in the supreme court?
US Supreme Court Justices have no "terms". According to the US Constitution they serve "during Good Behavior", which basically means "for life, or at least until they decide to step down or get caught doing something truly outrageously illegal and are officially removed from office." No Justice has ever been impeached.
Have there always been nine justices on the US Supreme Court?
No. Congress has changed the number of justices on the US Supreme Court nine times in the history of the Court. This does not include years when vacancies were unfilled, reducing the number of justices by one or more.The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for a 6-member Court, with a Chief Justice and 5 Associate Justices. Congress adjusted the size of the Court a number of times through the during the 19th-century.Judiciary Act of 1789: Court size 6Judiciary Act of 1801: Court size, 5Repeal Act of 1802: Court size, 6Seventh Circuit Act of 1807: Court size, 7Judiciary Act of 1837: Court size, 9Tenth Circuit Act of 1863: Court size, 10Judicial Circuit Act of 1866: Court size, 7Habeas Corpus Act of 1867: Court size, 8Judiciary Act of 1869: Court size, 9After the election of President Ulysses S. Grant, Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1869, which set the Court's membership at nine. This number has remained the same ever since.
When did Congress set the size of the US Supreme Court at nine justices?
Congress reduced the size of the US Supreme Court from 10 to 7 justices in the Judiciary Act of 1866 in order to prevent President Andrew Johnson from appointing any justices to vacancies on the Court. Congress increased the size of the Court from 7 to 9 after Johnson left office, in the Judiciary Act of 1869. The number of seats has remained constant ever since.
What if the president could fire justices of the supreme court if he didn't a ruling they made?
Ever hear the term "checks and balances"? One of the checks (limits) on the power of the President is that he cannot do what you describe. This means that once appointed the members of the Supreme Court can consider laws and cases without outside influence.
