The real issue is why does the Supreme Court choose to hear a specific case. Anyone can send a case or an appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court last served as a court of original jurisdiction in 1924. It insists that it has the right to serve in that capacity. It is doubtful that the Chief Justice has any idea of what circumstances could possibly arise that would require the Supreme Court to be a court of original Jurisdiction. Normally the Supreme Court hears appeal of cases dealing with conflicts in laws. If the fifth circuit in Baton Rouge rules one way in a specific situation and then the 11th Circuit in Atlanta rules a different way and then the Ninth Circuit in California rules yet a different way, then the Supreme Court might hear an appeal. Then the Supreme Court will listen to the material. It will make its decision. From then on, the rules as to how the law will be applied the same way in all of the different courts.
According to US Supreme Court Rules, Rule 10, the following are the three (simplified) reasons appellate cases are heard in the Supreme Court:
The actual rule reads as follows:
Rule 10. Considerations Governing Review on Writ of Certiorari
"Review on a writ of certiorari is not a matter of right, but of judicial discretion. A petition for a writ of certiorari will be granted only for compelling reasons. The following, although neither controlling nor fully measuring the Court's discretion, indicate the character of the reasons the Court considers:
For more information, see Related Questions, below.
The Supreme Court justices hear cases in the courtroom of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC.
The US Supreme Court is the highest court of appeals in the US, but only for cases that fall under its jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court is the highest court of the United States.
The US Supreme Court disposed of 145 cases in 1978, hearing arguments in 141 of them.
No. The US Supreme Court and International Court are unrelated and have jurisdiction over different types of cases.
Most cases reach the US Supreme Court via the US Court of Appeals Circuit Courts, which are part of the federal court system.
Yes, the state supreme courts are compelled to hear all death row appeals; but No, the US Supreme Court is not required to hear capital appeals.Death row appeals are part of the mandatory jurisdiction of State supreme courts, but the US Supreme Court is no longer required to review capital punishment cases. The Judiciary Act of 1925 allowed the US Supreme Court discretion to determine what cases to hear, with a few exceptions. Congress eliminated mandatory jurisdiction over death penalty cases in 1988.
The US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Since cases can be appealed to the US Supreme Court from the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, it is really not the equivalent of a supreme court.
Federal appellate cases
The US Supreme Court has heard more than 30,000 cases since its inception in 1789 (no cases were heard for the first few years).
The VA Supreme court but some cases can still travel to the US Supreme Court.
Congress has authority to set or change the US Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction. The Supreme Court itself has full discretion over which cases it chooses to hear under its appellate jurisdiction.