What kinds of cases does the US Supreme Court take?

What kinds of cases does the US Supreme Court take?

• A. Only criminal cases
• B. They pick cases they want and hear both criminal and civil
• C. Federal cases only
• D. Only civil cases

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the Supreme Court has discretionary review: it doesn’t automatically hear every case, but selects a small number that raise important federal questions or constitutional issues. The Court reviews decisions from lower courts only when it decides the issue is significant enough to merit its attention. The Court’s docket includes both criminal and civil matters. Cases can come from state or federal courts and typically involve questions about federal law or constitutional rights, or conflicts among lower courts. That means the Court can take on criminal cases that raise constitutional protections, as well as civil cases involving federal statutes or constitutional questions. So the best choice captures that the Court picks cases it wants to hear and does so for both criminal and civil matters.

The main idea is that the Supreme Court has discretionary review: it doesn’t automatically hear every case, but selects a small number that raise important federal questions or constitutional issues. The Court reviews decisions from lower courts only when it decides the issue is significant enough to merit its attention.

The Court’s docket includes both criminal and civil matters. Cases can come from state or federal courts and typically involve questions about federal law or constitutional rights, or conflicts among lower courts. That means the Court can take on criminal cases that raise constitutional protections, as well as civil cases involving federal statutes or constitutional questions.

So the best choice captures that the Court picks cases it wants to hear and does so for both criminal and civil matters.