Which of the following statements best describes the Supreme Court?
A) The justices have no discretion whatsoever to decide which cases they will hear because their jurisdiction is defined entirely by the Constitution.
B) The justices have limited discretion to decide which cases they will hear and they are forced to hear many cases that address only narrow, technical issues of federal law.
C) The justices have limited discretion to decide which cases they will hear, and they are forced to hear only those cases that raise the most important issues of federal law.
D) The justices have broad latitude to decide which cases they will hear and generally hear only those cases they deem to raise the most important issues.
E) The justices have broad latitude to decide which cases they will hear and generally avoid those cases that they deem to raise the most important issues.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court has broad latitude to decide which cases they will hear, and they generally hear only those cases they deem to raise the most important issues. The Court receives thousands of petitions each year, but only selects a small fraction of cases to actually hear. The decisions to grant or deny certiorari (hear or decline to hear a case) are based on a number of factors, including the legal significance of the issue, whether there is a circuit split (i.e. different federal appellate courts have issued conflicting rulings on the same legal issue), and the potential impact of the case on society.

Which of the Following Statements Best Describes the Supreme Court